Russia has unleashed one of its most extensive aerial assaults on Ukraine in recent months, reportedly deploying 85 attack drones alongside a powerful ballistic missile in the early hours of Saturday morning. The announcement came from Ukraine’s Air Force, which confirmed that the strikes occurred only a few hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump wrapped up their highly anticipated summit in Alaska, a meeting many observers had hoped would pave the way toward a possible ceasefire in the ongoing war.
The Alaska talks, framed as a potential turning point in the conflict, ended Friday without a ceasefire deal or significant breakthrough, leaving uncertainty about whether peace negotiations between the two superpowers and Ukraine might progress further. Expectations were high leading into the summit, with Trump warning of “severe consequences” if Putin failed to halt the war, but in his post-summit remarks, he refrained from announcing any new measures.
According to Ukrainian officials, the overnight bombardment began late on August 15 — the same day the Trump-Putin talks concluded — and extended well into the morning of August 16. The attack included an Iskander-M ballistic missile and a massive swarm of Iranian-made Shahed drones, which were directed toward multiple Ukrainian regions, particularly areas along or near the frontline of the conflict. The strikes triggered hours of air raid sirens and widespread fear across the country.
Ukraine’s air defense forces claimed a significant success, intercepting 61 of the 85 drones. However, despite those efforts, the remaining drones and the ballistic missile still managed to cause destruction, with reports of impacts across four separate regions. Damage assessments were ongoing as of Saturday, with local authorities noting that residential areas, infrastructure, and energy facilities were among the targets. Emergency responders were deployed to affected regions to contain fires and aid displaced civilians.
In a parallel development, Russian state media highlighted Moscow’s announcement that construction has officially commenced on Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant. Analysts interpret the move as part of Russia’s broader geopolitical strategy to expand its influence in Central Asia, signaling that Moscow is strengthening its global leverage even as its war effort in Ukraine drags on into a fourth year.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not yet issued a direct response to the Alaska summit. While Trump and Putin described their meeting as “constructive” and said progress had been made, they failed to outline concrete steps toward ending the war. The lack of clear commitments has left Kyiv and its allies uncertain about the summit’s impact on Ukraine’s security and long-term stability.
The war, which began in February 2022 with Russia’s full-scale invasion, has now entered its fourth year. It has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians while forcing millions of Ukrainians to flee their homes. Despite international sanctions and mounting global pressure, Moscow has continued its military campaign, showing little willingness to withdraw its forces. Saturday’s large-scale attack underscored Russia’s determination to maintain pressure on Ukraine, even in the immediate aftermath of high-level diplomatic talks with the United States.
As the world reacts to the dual headlines of the failed ceasefire talks and the latest escalation in strikes, uncertainty continues to hang over the path forward. With Ukraine vowing to defend itself and the U.S. seeking to balance diplomacy with deterrence, the conflict remains at a volatile crossroads. For many observers, the overnight assault has cast fresh doubt on whether peace negotiations are anywhere near becoming a reality, despite the optics of Trump and Putin’s Alaska summit.