KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated on Monday as both countries exchanged allegations over deadly drone attacks on civilian areas. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed expectations of "a very intense week" of diplomacy at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, where discussions about the ongoing war, which has lasted more than three years, were anticipated in the Security Council.
President Zelenskyy has been actively promoting a U.S.-led peace initiative, proposing a ceasefire and a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, Moscow has raised objections to several of these proposals, indicating that a resolution to the conflict remains elusive, and the situation appears to be deteriorating further.
International concerns have intensified recently regarding the risk of the conflict expanding beyond Ukraine's borders, particularly as European nations criticized Russia for perceived provocations. These incidents have included Russian drones landing in Poland and Russian fighter jets violating Estonian airspace.
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics warned on social media that Russia is testing NATO's military and political responses while attempting to undermine Western support for Ukraine. He noted that while Russia has not crossed a definitive "red line," their actions could still lead to escalated tensions.
As part of his diplomatic efforts, Zelenskyy is scheduled to attend the U.N. General Assembly, aiming to garner global support for initiatives aimed at halting Russia's invasion. He mentioned that his agenda includes nearly twenty meetings with various world leaders throughout the week.
Zelenskyy is also expected to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, with whom discussions regarding a peace agreement have yet to bear fruit since Trump took office in January. "It is vital that this week strengthens the world’s resolve for robust action—without strength, peace will not prevail," he emphasized.
He reported that over the past week, Russia launched a significant attack involving more than 1,500 strike drones, 1,280 glide bombs, and 50 missiles aimed at Ukraine. Zelenskyy noted the discovery of over 132,000 foreign components in the munitions, sourced from various countries.
Meanwhile, the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia suffered a severe assault overnight, where at least seven Russian aircraft were reported to have bombed the area, resulting in three fatalities and two injuries, as per regional administration chief Ivan Fedorov. He described how the attack, which began around 4:20 a.m. and lasted approximately 40 minutes, targeted residential buildings, shopping centers, and critical infrastructure, none of which were associated with military operations.
Conversely, Russian officials claimed that Ukrainian drone attacks had struck the popular resort area of Foros in the Crimea peninsula, resulting in three deaths and sixteen injuries. The Russian Defense Ministry also asserted that there are no military installations in the vicinity.
In Russia's Belgorod border region, three casualties and ten injuries were reported due to Ukrainian drone strikes on Sunday, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. The Russian military reported the interception of 114 Ukrainian drones early on Monday across several regions.
With ongoing military exchanges and high-stakes diplomatic discussions on the horizon, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine remains a focal point of international concern.
