Ukraine launches drone strikes in Russia ahead of Trump-Putin peace summit

On the eve of a potentially historic peace summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukraine launched a wave of drone attacks deep inside Russia, striking multiple cities, killing at least one person, and wounding 16 more.

The timing was no accident.

Just hours before the two leaders are set to meet in Anchorage, Alaska, Ukrainian forces struck residential buildings in Rostov-on-Don and Belgorod, as well as a key Russian oil refinery. One drone hit an apartment block in Rostov, injuring 13 civilians, while another strike in Belgorod wounded three. An oil spill was also reported following a separate drone attack overnight Wednesday.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it intercepted 44 drones in the largest cross-border aerial offensive from Ukraine in months.

This is not a sign of de-escalation it’s a clear warning that the war is intensifying as outside pressure for peace builds. The attacks follow a significant Russian push in eastern Ukraine, where Putin’s forces advanced six miles in Donetsk according to Ukraine’s own war map system. Kyiv has also suffered a brutal wave of Russian missile strikes in recent weeks, with more than a dozen civilians killed.

But with the Biden administration on the sidelines and NATO leaders issuing toothless condemnations, it’s Donald Trump who is stepping up to end the carnage.

The Trump-Putin summit, scheduled for 3:30 PM EST on Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, is shaping up to be one of the most consequential diplomatic meetings in recent history. According to administration sources, the two leaders will explore the possibility of a land-swap-based ceasefire a controversial solution Trump has floated to finally end the war that began when Russia invaded in 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly rejected any territorial concessions, insisting, “Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupier.” But Trump was quick to push back.

“I disagree with him very, very severely,” Trump said earlier this week. “I was a little bothered by how quick he was to reject it.”

Speaking to Fox Radio’s Brian Kilmeade on Thursday, Trump said he believes Putin is ready to deal.

“He’s going to make a deal. I think he’s going to. And we’re going to find out I’m going to know very quickly,” Trump said. He added that there’s a 25% chance the meeting fails. “If it goes badly, I’ll fly straight back to Washington.”

For now, Zelensky has not been invited to Friday’s summit, though Trump hinted a second round of talks involving both Ukraine and Russia may follow if Friday’s meeting produces momentum.

Let’s be clear: None of this was possible under Joe Biden. For three years, the Democrat foreign policy establishment poured over $175 billion into Ukraine, escalated the conflict, armed both sides with increasingly destructive weapons, and achieved absolutely nothing except more deaths, more destruction, and more risk of a global war.

Now, Trump is doing what Biden couldn’t: sitting down with Putin face to face, demanding results, and pushing for peace from a position of strength.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s latest round of attacks risks throwing fuel on the fire just as a breakthrough could be within reach. Whether it's an intentional attempt to disrupt talks or a desperate bid for leverage remains unclear but it underscores how fragile the situation has become.

With over 500,000 casualties and tens of millions displaced, the world can’t afford another year of this war. It’s time for leadership not endless funding packages, empty promises, and proxy wars.

President Trump is stepping in to clean up yet another global disaster created by the Biden administration.

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