August 20, 2025 | 12:22 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Russia launched drone and ballistic missile attacks on the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk on Monday night, August 18, 2025. Kremenchuk Mayor Vitalii Maletskyi remarked that the attack indicated Russian President Vladimir Putin's lack of intention to end the war.
According to USA Today, Maletskyi wrote on Telegram that while Putin assured U.S. President Donald Trump over the phone about peace and Zelensky met with European leaders at the White House, a massive attack struck his city. "Once again, the world has seen that Putin does not want peace—he wants to destroy Ukraine," he expressed.
Attack amid Peace Efforts
As reported by The Kyiv Independent, Russia fired a number of missiles and dozens of drones in the attack on August 19. Explosions were reported in Kremenchuk, located in Poltava Oblast, about 260 kilometers from Kyiv. Local media suggested that energy infrastructure may have been targeted. As of now, there is no information on casualties or the scale of damage.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that several cities closer to the front lines, including Kharkiv and Poltava, were also under threat of attack. Air raid alerts were issued in various regions, including Kyiv.
Just hours before Zelensky met Trump at the White House, Russian missile attacks also hit Zaporizhzhia. Three people were killed and 30 others injured. "Russia knows that today there is a meeting in Washington to end the war," said Zelensky, adding that Putin would continue to kill to pressure Ukraine and Europe, and to undermine diplomatic efforts.
Trump Discusses Security Guarantee
The attack occurred just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky concluded talks in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump and several European leaders. Trump stated that the meeting discussed security guarantees for Ukraine.
"During the meeting we discussed Security Guarantees for Ukraine, which Guarantees would be provided by the various European Countries, with a coordination with the United States of America," wrote Trump on the Truth Social platform.
Just days before, Trump met Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15. Although there was no official agreement, Trump mentioned that they largely agreed on security guarantees for Ukraine and territorial exchanges. Trump also admitted to preparing a bilateral meeting between Zelensky and Putin, to be followed by a trilateral meeting.
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