Zelensky: Russian Strikes Demonstrate Moscow’s Intransigence

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that Russia’s overnight strikes confirmed that Moscow’s position remained unchanged despite renewed US diplomatic efforts.

“Almost immediately after a new round of talks, Russia launched a precisely targeted attack. This means there has been no real change in its position on everything that is happening,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram, according to Agence France-Presse.

Earlier, Moscow announced that it had shot down 808 Ukrainian drones overnight, a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in St Petersburg with US envoy Steve Witkoff as part of efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

In a statement, Russia’s Defence Ministry said that “air defence systems destroyed 808 Ukrainian drones” overnight over around 20 Russian regions and the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed.