Russia Strikes Ukrainian City Hours After White House Summit

Russia launched an overnight strike on the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk, causing a thick column of smoke to rise over the city.

The local mayor described the attack as a sign that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not seek peace, The Caspian Post reports citing foreign media.

The bombardment on that city as well as other locations in Ukraine was Russia’s largest so far in August, according to the Ukrainian air force. It followed Donald Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders in Washington on Monday as the U.S. president seeks an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Moscow launched 270 drones and 10 missiles, the Ukrainian air force said. Although it said it had downed 230 of the drones, it said 16 sites were struck.

“While hard work to advance peace was underway in Washington, D.C. ... Moscow continued to do the opposite of peace: more strikes and destruction,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X.

The governor of Poltava region, where Kremenchuk is located, said there were no casualties but nearly 1,500 households were left without electricity.

The Energy Ministry said energy facilities were hit in the attack, resulting in damage and a large fire.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces hit an oil refinery supplying Ukraine’s military. Kremenchuk is home to a large refinery, although the ministry did not say if this was the one that was struck.

Russian officials also said a Ukrainian drone attack overnight caused fires at an oil refinery and a hospital roof in the Volgograd region.