KYIV: Russia launched more strike drones into Ukraine overnight on Saturday than in any other single attack of the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday, one day before the three-year anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion.
Writing on social media, Zelenskyy said 267 strike drones had been sent in what he called “the largest attack since Iranian drones began hitting Ukrainian cities and villages.” Ukraine’s air force said 138 drones had been shot down over 13 Ukrainian regions, with 119 more lost en route to their targets.
Three ballistic missiles had also been fired, the air force said. One person was killed in the city of Kryvyi Rih.
Later, Zelenskyy said he would be ready to give up the presidency if doing so would achieve a lasting peace for his country under the security umbrella of the NATO military alliance. Speaking at a forum of government officials in Kyiv marking the three-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Zelenskyy said, “If to achieve peace, you really need me to give up my post, I’m ready.”
The leaders of France and Britain are making tag-team visits to Washington this week as Europe attempts to persuade President Donald Trump not to abandon Ukraine in pursuit of a peace deal in the three-year-old war with Russia. Further, Russia-US negotiations on ‘irritants in bilateral ties’ will take place at the end of next week, TASS cited Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Sunday.