President Donald Trump spoke directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin as he weighs whether to approve long-range missiles for Ukraine. The call comes ahead of President Trump's Friday meeting at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where those weapons will be on the table.
For months, Ukrainian social media has been flooded with videos showing the aftermath of homegrown drones and missiles striking Russian refineries, pipelines and pumping stations. Ukraine says it has targeted facilities more than 900 miles inside Russia. While many of the videos cannot be independently verified, analysts estimate that Ukraine has damaged or destroyed about 40% of Russia's refining capacity. Online clips also show cars in Russia lined up for hours for fuel, with prices rising sharply — and, in some regions, gas unavailable entirely.
That campaign to cripple Russia's energy supply has been met with fierce retaliation. Overnight, Russia launched a sweeping missile and drone strike across Ukraine, focusing heavily on energy infrastructure. The Ukrainian government reported that more than 300 attack drones and 37 missiles, many of them ballistic, were used in the assault. Explosions were reported in the Poltava, Kharkiv, Sumy, Vinnytsia and Chernihiv regions, and authorities warned of widespread blackouts.
These latest attacks follow a familiar pattern: as winter looms, Russia is intensifying strikes aimed at Ukraine's power and fuel systems. The strategy appears designed to disrupt civilian life, erode morale and constrain Ukraine's ability to sustain military operations.
The Russian strikes are unfolding as debate in Washington over arming Ukraine with Tomahawk cruise missiles reaches a climax. Zelenskyy has argued that longer-range strike capabilities are necessary to hit deep logistics hubs and energy sites inside Russia — targets that he says would force Moscow to take demands for direct negotiations more seriously.
Trump's discussions with Putin and his upcoming meeting with Zelenskyy could reshape U.S. policy. A report this week from the Financial Times says the United States is already sharing targeting intelligence with Ukraine to help guide long-range missions — a development Moscow warns could sharply escalate the conflict.
