Drone Barrages of the Ukraine War
Drone Barrages of the Ukraine War
The bombardment, which Ukrainian officials said mostly targeted Kyiv, came just a day before President Trump was expected to talk with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.
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By Marc Santora and Matthew Mpoke Bigg
May 18, 2025Updated 7:27 p.m. ET
Russia targeted Ukraine on Sunday with one of its largest drone bombardments of the war, an apparent show of force only a day before President Trump is expected to talk with President Vladimir V. Putin as Mr. Trump pushes Russia to accept a cease-fire deal.
The drone barrage, in which an estimated 273 exploding drones and decoys were recorded in the skies across Ukraine, killed a woman and injured several other people.
It came hours after Mr. Trump said on Saturday that he would talk with Mr. Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who has agreed to an unconditional and immediate cease-fire, as well as the leaders of the NATO alliance. Mr. Putin has dragged his feet on agreeing to any temporary truce, adding preconditions that he knows Ukraine will not accept.
On Sunday, Mr. Zelensky met in Rome with Vice President JD Vance in their first encounter since a contentious White House meeting in February. The Sunday sit-down, which also included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, took place after they attended Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural Mass.
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The meeting appeared to be an attempt to show that any animosity between Mr. Vance and Mr. Zelensky had dissipated. The White House said in a statement that the meeting focused on the current status of negotiations toward a cease-fire and a lasting peace.
Mr. Trump also met with Mr. Zelensky in private at the Vatican before the funeral of Pope Francis on April 26 and later spoke warmly of the Ukrainian leader.
Ukrainian officials have argued that Russia’s relentless bombardments, like the drone attacks on Sunday, are evidence that Mr. Putin does not want to find a path to peace.
The call between Mr. Trump and the Russian leader, which the Kremlin confirmed on Saturday, would be their second publicly acknowledged conversation over Ukraine since Mr. Trump took office in January.
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