Despite Trump’s peaceful calls, Russian attacks against Ukraine have doubled after taking office

Russia more than doubled the number of drones and missiles fired to Ukraine after President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, found an analysis of the BBC, despite its calls to end fire.

The attacks were already rising with former President Joe Biden in 2024, but sharply rose after Trump’s victory in November. Ever since he returned to service in January, air attacks from Moscow have reached their highest levels of war.

During his campaign, Trump swore to end the fight in just one day if he returned to office. He claimed during his campaign in 2024 that the full -scale invasion of Russia in Ukraine could have been prevented, there is a president who was “respected” by the Kremlin.

However, in his efforts to reach the cessation of fire, he was accused in moments in favor of Russia by critics, and his administration has stopped delivery of ammunition for air defense and other military supplies to Ukraine in two separate cases.

Pauses – announced in March and July and after being canceled by the President – came as Russia constantly increases the production of rockets and drones. According to Ukrainian military intelligence, ballistic missile construction in Russia has increased by 66% in the last year.

Data reviewed by the BBC are checked – based on daily incident reports issued by Ukrainian Air Force – show that Russia has launched 27 158 ammunition between January 20 – when Trump’s presidency begins – and 19 July, compared to 11,614 in the last six months of Baiden’s term.

“This brutal war was brought by Joe Biden’s incompetence, and it lasted too long,” said White House deputy secretary Anna Kelly press secretary in a statement to the BBC.

“President Trump wants to stop the murder, which is why he sells a weapon produced by America to NATO members and threatens Putin with biting tariffs and sanctions if he does not agree to end the fire.”

In the early weeks of the new administration, the White House has released a series of warm statements, at first glance it intends to lure President Vladimir Putin to an agreement. During this period, Russian attacks against Ukraine briefly fell compared to the last weeks of Biden’s administration.

But until February, when US diplomats, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, met with the delegation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for a summit in Riyadh, began to climb again.

The conversations that Rubio said were a starting point to put an end to the war were followed by mediated discussions between Ukrainian and Russian employees in Turkey.

The attacks reached a peak early last month when Moscow released 748 drones and rockets to Ukraine on July 9, according to Ukrainian Air Force. More than a dozen people were It is reported to have been injured by the barge and two were killedS

While Trump expressed anger from escalating Russian attacks several times, it seems that his growing powerlessness did not affect Moscow’s strategy.

On May 25, Russia started its largest recorded barrage, prompting Trump to ask angrily, “What the hell did it (Putin)?”

Since then, Russia has exceeded this number of reported launches 14 times. Trump replied by asking for this The Kremlin reaches a peace deal with Ukraine until August 8S

The number of Russian ammunition penetrating Ukrainian air protection seems to be increasing, with the explosions around the capital Kiev becoming a daily part of the life of the city’s residents.

“Every time you fall asleep, you do not know if you will wake up the next morning and this is just not a normal way to live,” said Dasha Wolk, a journalist living in the city, in front of the BBC program of UkraineCast in June.

“Every time you hear an explosion or rocket flying over your head, many thoughts go through my mind – now I will die, such things.”

Senator Chris Coons, a senior democrat on the US Senate Committee, told the BBC to check that Trump’s decision to stop arms supplies twice and his wider approach to Russian relations may have convinced the Kremlin that he had the freedom to increase attacks.

“It is clear that Putin feels relieved by Trump’s weakness and increased his vicious attack on the Ukrainian people, repeatedly attacks hospitals and maternity wards, Ukrainian power and other civic sites,” he said.

The increasing attacks have renewed US calls to send fresh stocks of patriotic air batteries to Ukraine. Patriots are the most capable and expensive air defense systems that Ukraine has. Each Patriot battery costs about $ 1 billion (800 million pounds), and each rocket costs nearly $ 4 million.

Trump canceled the previous supply pause and agreed to sell a weapon to NATO members, who in turn would supply them to Kiev. Trump seems to suggest that the deal will include fresh supplies of patriotic batteries.

Justin Bronck, an analyst focused on the Russian military at the Royal United Service Institute (RUSI), said the restrictions on the delivery of military equipment imposed by the White House made Ukraine “vulnerable” by rocket and drones.

But he also noted that Russia has strengthened the production of rockets and the so-called “kamikaze” drones such as the Geran-2-produced version of the Iranian Drone Shahd. Bronck said that the increased stocks of Russia, combined with “significant discounts” in the supplies of US -intercepted missile supplies, encouraged Moscow to escalate its air campaign.

Ukraine of the Military Intelligence Agency (HUR) has recently told the internal media that Russia is now producing up to 85 ballistic missiles per month, compared to 44 in April 2024.

Russia is reported to produce 170 geranium drones per day, creating a massive production facility in Alabuga in the southern part of the country.

In a recent interview with Russian military television, the director of the facility Timur Shagivaliev boasted that Alabuga had become the “worst factory for the production of combat drones in the world”, adding that his workers were producing nine times more units than they were initially expected.

Satellite images show that the facility has expanded significantly since mid -2024, with a number of new warehouses on the site.

Other structures, including it seem to be extensions of workers’ hostels, remain in the process of construction.

Senator Coons warned that increasing production means that Washington has to make it clear that he is not preparing to move away from the conflict, as some administration officials have threatened that he can do, emphasizing that peace can only be achieved through “growing security assistance”.

He added that President Trump should clarify to Russia that “he can’t just try to outlive the West.”

“To do this, he must maintain a constant and constant position in the war.”

Meanwhile, Da Wolk said that the Russian campaign is dragging every day and Ukrainian intercepts are falling public morality.

“People get tired of these attacks, they really affect our lives,” she said.

“We know what we are fighting for, but every year it gets more difficult because everyone is exhausted. It’s reality.”