Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced a fresh round of talks in the United States. He says the trip will focus on air defense, weapons supply, and new steps to protect Ukrainian cities. The announcement comes as Russia keeps up one of its heaviest bombing campaigns of the year.
Zelensky said this month alone, Russia has launched more than 3,500 drones and nearly 190 missiles at Ukraine. He called it an “aerial terror” campaign aimed at civilians and energy sites. Ukrainian officials say the strikes have hit homes, power stations, and even a children’s charity warehouse in Kyiv.
On the night before the president’s announcement, Russian forces struck the city of Zaporizhzhia. A 41-year-old man was killed, and at least 18 people were hurt. Fires broke out across several districts. In Odesa, a residential building was destroyed and children were among the injured. In Kropyvnytskyi, Russian strikes hit critical infrastructure, cutting services for local residents.
Ukraine has not stayed quiet. Its forces have struck Russian air defense systems, drone launch sites, and support bases far from the front line. Kyiv says it also hit oil refineries deep inside Russia, forcing at least two plants to halt operations. A large fire broke out at a Russian airfield in Rostov after a string of explosions, according to reports from the region.
The war has also spilled toward NATO’s eastern border. A drone attack on western Ukraine set off a “powerful explosion” close to the Polish frontier. Poland’s prime minister confirmed that fighter jets were scrambled as a safety step. It was the latest case of Russian drones drifting near or into Polish airspace this year, raising fresh concern among European leaders.
Zelensky’s Washington visit will test how far US support goes under the current political mood. Ukrainian pilots have said their F-16 jets are running short on missiles, limiting how much they can do against Russian aircraft and drones. Getting new supplies approved quickly is likely to be one of Zelensky’s top asks.
The visit also comes at a sensitive moment in US-Russia contacts. Media reports say Washington was caught off guard by the scale of a recent Russian attack, which happened just after a senior American intelligence official traveled to Moscow. That timing has added to questions in Washington about how to read Russian intentions.
Away from the battlefield, the human cost keeps climbing. Ukraine’s government has documented deaths and injuries across several regions in the last day alone, with strikes hitting Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Odesa oblasts the hardest. Local officials have urged residents to use shelters during air raid alerts, warning that drone waves can arrive with very little notice.
Zelensky’s government continues to push for an “energy ceasefire,” under which both sides would stop strikes on power and heating plants ahead of winter. Ukraine’s foreign ministry says it is ready to take part but is still waiting for Russia to share a list of facilities it would agree to protect. Without a deal, officials fear a hard winter for millions of Ukrainians already living with power cuts.
For Zelensky, the coming days in Washington carry high stakes. Ukraine needs weapons, money, and political backing to keep defending its cities. His government hopes fresh talks can turn sympathy into firm commitments before winter deepens an already brutal war.
