- Overnight drone strike on Kharkiv killed seven people, including two children, and wounded dozens, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
- Separate strikes hit Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Odesa, and other regions; Zelenskyy reported three killed and 20 injured in Zaporizhzhia and damage to an Odesa energy facility.
- The attacks come hours before scheduled meetings in Washington on Monday with President Donald Trump and European leaders to discuss ending the war.
The Big Picture
On Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, Ukraine said Russian forces launched overnight attacks across multiple regions, with a deadly drone strike in Kharkiv that killed seven people, including a toddler and a 16-year-old boy. The strikes landed as Kyiv prepares for talks in Washington on ending the war, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He called the Kharkiv strike “demonstrative and cynical,” saying Russia hit while global leaders were set to discuss peace and security guarantees for Ukraine.
What’s New
Zelenskyy said attacks also targeted Zaporizhzhia, the Sumy region, and Odesa. In Zaporizhzhia, missile strikes killed three people and injured 20, he said, offering condolences to the victims’ families. He also noted a deliberate strike on an energy facility in Odesa owned by an Azerbaijani company, calling it an attack “on our relations and energy security.”
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry added that Russia used ballistic missiles and Shahed drones in the overnight barrage. Initial tallies it cited included four people killed and 18 injured in Kharkiv, two wounded in the Kherson region, and three killed and seven injured in the Donetsk region, according to the Defence of Ukraine. Early casualty figures often change as emergency crews work through the debris.
What They’re Saying
Context
Kharkiv and surrounding communities have faced repeated waves of drone and missile attacks throughout the war, with Russia frequently striking residential blocks and civilian infrastructure. Ukraine says Moscow leans on Iranian-designed Shahed drones and a mix of missiles to pressure cities far from the front. Monday’s strikes come as diplomatic activity intensifies in Washington, where the White House has slated a bilateral meeting between President Trump and Zelenskyy and a separate session with European leaders to discuss next steps on a potential settlement and security guarantees. Kyiv argues that any credible path to peace must include durable protections against renewed Russian aggression.
What’s Next
The White House has scheduled a bilateral meeting between President Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for 1:15 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, followed by a 3:00 p.m. ET multilateral session with visiting European leaders, according to press guidance and Zelenskyy’s public statement. The afternoon format places the U.S.–Ukraine talks first, then expands to include allied leaders to align positions on a potential end to the war.
Participants in the broader discussion are expected to include leaders or senior representatives from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the European Union, and NATO, as Zelenskyy indicated. Kyiv says it will press for “reliable security guarantees” alongside near-term measures to protect civilians amid continuing strikes.
According to Ukrainian officials, the Washington talks will center on a framework for stopping the fighting, security guarantees to deter renewed aggression, and urgent support needs such as air defense and energy infrastructure protection. Any concrete steps or timelines, if agreed, would likely be detailed in post-meeting readouts from the participants later Monday.
The Bottom Line
Ukraine portrays the overnight strikes as an attempt to unsettle diplomacy just as high-stakes talks get underway in Washington. Kyiv’s message: intensifying attacks underscore the need for firm security guarantees and sustained support to stop the killing.
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