Russia and Ukraine exchanged intense aerial strikes overnight Saturday, with both sides reporting the presence of over 100 enemy drones in their respective territories.
The attack comes less than 24 hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss details of the American proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Ukraine, News.Az reports citing The Washington Times.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Putin said that he supported a truce in principle but set out a host of details that need to be clarified before it is agreed. Kyiv has already endorsed the truce proposal, although Ukrainian officials have publicly raised doubts as to whether Moscow will commit to such a deal.
In a statement Saturday, Zelenskyy accused Moscow of building up forces along the border.
“The buildup of Russian forces indicates that Moscow intends to keep ignoring diplomacy. It is clear that Russia is prolonging the war,” he said.
The Ukrainian leader also stressed that Kyiv’s troops were maintaining their presence in Russia’s Kursk region after U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that “thousands” of Ukrainian troops are surrounded by the Russian military.
“The operation of our forces in the designated areas of the Kursk region continues,” Zelenskyy said. “Our troops continue to hold back Russian and North Korean groupings in the Kursk region. There is no encirclement of our troops.”
