Russia launches the biggest wave of blows to Ukraine in weeks

Russia has launched 574 drones and 40 rockets in Ukraine in one of the worst bombing in weeks, Ukrainian officials say.

One person was killed in a drum and a missile strike on the western city of Lviv, while 15 others were reported injured in an attack on the southwestern transcarpathia.

The attacks came when US President Donald Trump led diplomatic movements to stop the war. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrius Sibiha said strikes emphasize why the ending efforts were “so critical.”

President Volodimir Zelenski said Ukraine is ready to meet with Russian Vladimir Putin “in neutral Europe” – the dispute about Switzerland or Austria – adding that he is not against Istanbul.

Zelenski has declared his willingness to meet Putin in “Every format”, although he poured cold water on the idea of ​​conversations that are being held in Budapest, which he said “is not easy today.”

The prospect of direct conversations appeared after Trump met Putin in Alaska and then hosted Zelenski and European leaders in the White House on Monday.

Initially, the US President offered three -sided conversations with him, Putin and Zelenski, but since then he suggested that he would not participate: “Now I think it would be better if they meet without me … if necessary, I will go.”

The Ukraine Air Force counted 614 drones and other rockets fired from Russia overnight on Thursday and said they had stopped 577 of them. This is the biggest air attack since July.

While Russian strikes tend to focus on the eastern regions close to the front lines, the westernmost attacks also hit the western areas.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia in Ukraine in 2022, its forces have occupied most of the eastern Donbass region in Ukraine, including Luhansk and Donetsk.

Currently, Russia controls about one fifth of Ukrainian territory, including the Crimean Peninsula, which it annexed in 2014.

Sibiha said that hypersonic, ballistic and cruise missiles are among the weapons used in the barge overnight.

The Ukrainian Air Force said many of the attacks come from Western Russia, as well as from the Black Sea, while a rocket came from Russia’s occupied Crimea.

In the West Loviv region, where one person was killed, three were injured in attacks that had damaged more than 20 civil buildings, including residential homes and a nursery.

Another 15 people were injured when cruise missiles hit an American electronics company in the far southwestern city of Mukolevo in Trankarpatia, not far from the borders of Ukraine with Hungary and Slovakia.

“One of the rockets hit a major US electronics manufacturer in our most west region, which led to serious damage and casualties,” Sibiha wrote on Social media on Thursday. The plant produces coffee machines and other household goods, employees say.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Zelenski said there was still no sign from Moscow that they “really intend to participate in significant negotiations” to end the war.

He also clarified the lack of enthusiasm for Budapest as a host for potential negotiations on Thursday, citing Prime Minister Victor Orban’s strong ties with Moscow: “I’m not saying that Orban’s policy is against Ukraine, but against Ukraine’s support.”

In recent days, the idea of ​​the Hungarian capital appeared as a potential place for peace talks. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Shijarto said Budapest was ready to provide “appropriate fair and safe conditions” to negotiate.

The Ukrainian leader also said that the Russian forces are massaging along the Southern Front in the Persuit region – one of the four regions of Ukraine, for which Russia is now claiming for its own.

“We can see that they continue to transfer some of their troops from the direction of Kursk to the attachment.”

In the meantime, Ukraine said his armed forces hit an oil refinery in the Russian region of Rostov, who borders Donbass.

Officials also stated that they have also hit a Russian depot with drones in the occupied East town of Donetsk, as well as other military and infrastructure facilities.

As the bloody battles continue, the front lines in the war remain largely stagnant in recent months, with small, territorial profits.

Against the backdrop of this impasse on the spot, Russia has expanded its air bombing from Ukrainian cities and infrastructure – especially as a diplomatic effort to end the war have increased.

Ukraine suffered its largest air attack in early July, when 728 and 13 rockets hit cities across the country in multiple waves.

As a result of the latest attack, Sibiha repeated Ukraine’s call for additional air defense from allies to abandon future attacks.