Russia has launched 270 drones and 10 missiles in an overnight attack on Ukraine, targeting energy facilities in the central Poltava region. The attack came a day after US President Donald Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House for talks on peace efforts.
As diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine accelerate, Russia has rejected calls for a ceasefire. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s government said it had received 1,000 bodies of fallen soldiers from Russia as part of deals reached during peace talks in Istanbul earlier this year.
The US and European leaders are seeking to establish a coalition force to backstop any peace agreement in Ukraine, with the aim of providing security guarantees for the country. However, Russia has rejected this idea, saying it will not accept NATO troops in Ukraine.
US President Trump said he hopes Putin would move forward on ending the war, but conceded that the Kremlin leader may not want to make a deal. The White House projected a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy at the talks on Monday, but Russia has made no explicit commitment to such a meeting.
Despite the challenges, diplomats say a breakthrough in offering security guarantees to Ukraine is essential to pave the way for territorial swaps. The international community broadly rejects Russian presence in areas it annexed, including Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/19/ukraine-hit-by-multiple-russian-strikes-amid-us-led-push-for-end-to-war