Russia, Ukraine trade deadly drone strikes as Zelensky anticipates intense diplomacy at the UN

Russia and Ukraine traded deadly drone strikes on civilian areas Monday as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepared for a high-stakes week at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Zelenskyy said the gathering would feature intense diplomacy as he pressed for support for a ceasefire and a U.S.-led peace initiative. Moscow has resisted some proposals and indicated that an immediate end to the war remains elusive, even as concerns mounted that the fighting could spill over beyond Ukraine’s borders. The day’s clashes underscored the broader risk of widening conflict as European members of NATO watch for signals from Moscow and Kyiv ahead of the U.N. gathering, and as Baltic states voiced alarm about potential Russian provocations.

Zelenskyy’s schedule at the U.N. is set to include nearly two dozen meetings with leaders from around the world, and he said he planned to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump amid efforts to rally broad international backing for Ukraine’s position. “It is vital that this week strengthen the world’s resolve for robust action — for without strength, peace will not prevail,” he said in a Telegram post. He also reiterated Kyiv’s call for tighter sanctions on Russia as Western governments weigh next steps in response to the invasion.

In Ukraine, authorities said seven Russian aircraft bombarded the southern city of Zaporizhzhia overnight, killing three people and wounding two, with residential buildings, a shopping mall, a parking lot and other infrastructure targeted. The regional administration head, Ivan Fedorov, said none of the sites attacked bore military significance. Kyiv’s air force said it shot down 132 of 141 strike and decoy drones launched by Russian forces overnight, while Moscow issued its own claim of drone success.

Separately, the Russian border region of Crimea saw renewed fighting when Sergei Aksyonov, the Moscow-appointed head of the peninsula, said Ukrainian drones struck the popular resort town of Foros, killing three people and wounding 16. The Russian Defense Ministry later said there were no military facilities there. In Russia’s Belgorod region, three people were killed and another 10 wounded by Ukrainian drone attacks on Sunday, according to regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. The Defense Ministry said 114 Ukrainian drones were downed early Monday over several Russian regions.

The flare-up also drew commentary from security officials in neighboring European states. Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs said Russia was testing NATO’s political and military responses and trying to sap Western support for Kyiv by forcing allies to shift resources toward defense of alliance members. He cautioned that Moscow appeared to be calibrating actions to avoid triggering a “red line,” but warned the situation could still spiral.

Zelenskyy’s wartime tally of recent strikes underscored Kyiv’s assertion that Russia’s campaign remains relentless. He said that over the past week Russia fired more than 1,500 strike drones, 1,280 glide bombs and 50 missiles at Ukraine, with more than 132,000 foreign components identified in those weapons—an assertion aimed at bolstering calls for greater sanctions and weapons controls from Kyiv’s allies. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly urged Western partners to tighten export controls and impose penalties that would hamper Russia’s ability to sustain its war effort.

Officials in Moscow disputed allegations of cross-border violations and called Western accusations about the conflict a tactic to maintain pressure on Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed claims about Estonian airspace incursions and cast NATO’s warnings as “void, ungrounded and continuing an unbridled policy of inciting tensions and provoking confrontation.” The Russian Defense Ministry offered its own assessments of drone activity and airspace incidents, highlighting that Moscow adheres to territorial boundaries and international norms.

The week ahead at the U.N. is expected to illuminate the contours of international diplomacy as nations weigh renewed sanctions, arms supplies, and humanitarian relief, all set against the backdrop of a protracted war that has drawn in multiple regional players and heightened security concerns across Europe. While Zelenskyy has sought to mobilize global backing for his terms of engagement, Russia has signaled that a path to ending the fighting will require concessions and a credible security framework that meets its own strategic aims. The Security Council was expected to discuss the conflict as part of broader debates on strategic stability and regional security, underscoring the war’s prominence on the international agenda.

As diplomacy unfolds, there is little sign of an imminent resolution to the fighting, and both sides have warned that any pause in hostilities would require mutual assurances and enforceable guarantees. The war has displaced millions and caused widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure, complicating humanitarian relief efforts and raising concerns about regional stability and the security of neighboring states.