Russia Launches Massive Drone Attacks Across Ukraine amid Frontline Troop Buildup

Russian forces continue their attempts to create a buffer zone in the Kharkiv region, with daily attacks targeting Vovchansk, though Ukrainian Defense Forces maintain positions and resist significant advances. Russia launched a massive assault involving over 500 drones and dozens of missiles, damaging Ukraine's energy grid, civilian infrastructure, and transport networks across multiple regions, prompting widespread air raid alerts. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attacks as provocations enabled by insufficient international pressure on Russia's war economy and is pressing European and U.S. allies for tougher sanctions and security guarantees during visits to Denmark and France. Zelenskyy has expressed support for a peace meeting between himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin, a proposal Putin deflected by insisting Zelenskyy must come to Moscow, a suggestion Ukraine’s Foreign Minister deemed unacceptable amid ongoing hostilities. U.S. President Donald Trump is actively working to facilitate negotiations between Zelenskyy and Putin, advocating for a trilateral meeting and indicating U.S. support for European peacekeeping plans without deploying American troops. Meanwhile, Russian President Putin, attending a military parade in Beijing, dismissed calls for peace talks and continued aggressive military actions, while Zelenskyy highlighted Russia's reinforcement of frontline sectors and ongoing drone attacks as part of its refusal to seek peace.