Ukraine Launches Over 1,000 Drones At Russia As Trump-Zelensky Tensions Escalate

Ukrainian strikes set an oil export terminal and a depot ablaze in St Petersburg on Sunday, as Kyiv launched more than 1,000 drones at Russia in one of its largest aerial attacks of the war.

The attacks came amid growing tensions between Kyiv and Washington, with US President Donald Trump criticising Ukraine’s strikes on Russian energy infrastructure and leaving the prospect of additional sanctions against Moscow uncertain.

Trump said on Sunday that he had postponed imposing new sanctions on Russia because he did not “want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table.”

In a social media post, the US president defended his Friday decision to issue a waiver preventing new sanctions against Moscow, rejecting bipartisan criticism that he was favouring Russian President Vladimir Putin over Ukraine.

Trump argued that imposing additional sanctions could undermine diplomatic efforts to end the war.

“I can sign it later, or any time that I want!” he wrote, referring to the sanctions.

Trump also criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for targeting Russian energy infrastructure, claiming that the Ukrainian leader “doesn’t want to end this war.”

Zelensky Warns Sanctions Relief Could Strengthen Russia

Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press earlier on Sunday, Zelensky warned that easing sanctions against Russia would strengthen Putin’s ability to continue the war. He also confirmed that intelligence-sharing between Washington and Kyiv had resumed after being “blocked for some period of time.”

Zelensky said he trusted Trump but cautioned that siding with Moscow would represent a tragedy and a “historic mistake” for the United States.

“People want to forget what’s going on. But we can’t give this possibility to forget, or to change reality, or to change the truth,” Zelensky said.

He added: “We can’t compare me and Putin. He’s (an) aggressor. He occupied us. He killed adults and children, his soldiers. He’s a terrorist. And that’s why I hope that President Trump will be very clear with this position.”

Later on Sunday, Zelensky said he had spoken with US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about the outcome of an October 9 meeting between American and Ukrainian negotiating teams in Miami, as well as the next steps in diplomatic efforts.

Deadly Strikes Hit Russia and Ukraine

One person was killed and five others wounded in the Ukrainian attack on St Petersburg, according to local Governor Alexander Beglov. The strikes triggered fires at the Petersburg Oil Terminal and the Ruchi oil depot.

Russian retailer Ozon confirmed that one of its logistics centres had also been targeted, while technology company VK said a data centre operated by the company was hit.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces had destroyed 1,015 Ukrainian drones across 15 Russian regions, the annexed Crimean peninsula and the Black Sea.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state news agency TASS that Ukraine was “resisting” Russia’s invasion but could not “change the current course of events.”

In Ukraine, a woman was killed and at least two other people were wounded in two Russian attacks on the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, local officials said. A six-year-old girl was among the injured.

Kyiv Accuses Moscow of Continuing Energy Attacks

Trump announced on October 11 that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an “energy ceasefire” in the four-and-a-half-year war, but provided few details about the arrangement.

Kyiv subsequently reported continued Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. Ukraine also said on Thursday that it had resumed strikes against Russian oil facilities following a three-day pause.

In a post on X on Sunday, Zelensky said Russia had attacked Ukraine’s energy, oil and gas sectors 76 times in the week since Trump announced the proposed ceasefire.

Energy facilities in four Ukrainian regions were struck overnight, leaving tens of thousands of families without electricity, he said, accusing Moscow of attempting to trigger widespread blackouts.

“America should see that Russia is not taking any reciprocal steps in response to sanctions relief or agreements. On the contrary, they take every signal of an opportunity to make money as proof that their bet on war is paying off and they can keep fighting,” Zelensky wrote.

The competing accusations have raised further questions about the effectiveness of diplomatic efforts to halt attacks on energy infrastructure while broader negotiations continue.

Ukraine Apologises to Lithuania Over Drone Incursion

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry apologised on Sunday after a drone entered Lithuanian airspace, prompting authorities to issue an air raid warning.

Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said Russian electronic warfare could have diverted the drone during a Ukrainian operation targeting what Kyiv described as legitimate military targets inside Russia.

Lithuanian authorities urged residents in two northern counties near the Latvian border to seek shelter early on Sunday because of a possible drone incursion, public broadcaster LRT reported.

A drone entered the northern Pasvalys region and damaged a moving car, LRT reported, citing Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Center. No injuries were reported.

The incident added to regional security concerns as Russia and Ukraine continued their aerial attacks and diplomatic efforts to end the conflict remained uncertain.