On May 18, 2025, Russia conducted its most intensive drone offensive against Ukraine since the start of war by deploying 273 drones across multiple regions – Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk among them – at once. This unprecedented assault resulted in one person’s death and three injuries including that of a child; Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted 88 of these drones while another 128 were neutralized using electronic jamming; accordingly these figures can be seen here (New York Post +8
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+8 The timing of this massive drone attack coincides with a scheduled phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 19, 2025. President Trump has expressed optimism regarding brokering a ceasefire; referring to the ongoing conflict as “bloodbath” while stressing its urgency for ending hostilities.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of their call between Trump and Putin, where they focused on Ukraine’s commitment to diplomacy and the need for an unconditional ceasefire agreement (The Guardian +5/ AP News).
European leaders from Britain, France, Germany and Poland have engaged with President Trump in discussions urging him to adopt a firm stance towards Russia and to place increased sanctions if Moscow does not commit to peace negotiations.
Ukrainian intelligence reports indicate that Russia plans on conducting an intercontinental ballistic missile test launch, seen as a show of strength and potential intimidation tactic against Ukraine and its allies.
The International Community Is Paying Attention
The international community is eagerly watching how President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin discuss resolving Russia-Ukraine Conflict as it could impact global geopolitics.