Kyiv, Ukraine – May 26, 2025 – President Volodymyr Zelensky has charged that the United States is complicit in Russia’s intensifying aggression, following what Kyiv describes as the largest aerial assault since Russia started their full-scale invasion in 2022.
Russian forces launched more than 100 missiles and drones overnight into Sunday morning, targeting both critical infrastructure and civilian areas across multiple regions in Ukraine – from Kyiv and Kharkiv to Dnipro. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted some projectiles while many more struck energy facilities or residential neighborhoods, leading to widespread blackouts and at least 24 civilian injuries.
Zelensky voiced his displeasure at what he sees as weakening international resolve, particularly from the United States. Zelensky asserted that President Vladimir Putin finds strength not just from missiles and drones but from silence from those who once promised their unwavering support; their absence is being heard in Moscow as permission to escalate further.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Petro Poroshenko made these comments amid mounting tensions between Kyiv and Washington, with delays in military aid packages and hesitation over advanced weapon deliveries fueling fears in Kyiv of weakening Western resolve. Although Congress approved a new military support bill earlier this month, Ukrainian officials maintain that critical weapons systems — like long-range missiles and additional air defense units — have taken longer than promised to arrive.
Ukraine’s Air Force confirmed in a statement issued Sunday that 52 cruise missiles, 35 Iranian-made Shahed drones, and multiple Kinzhal hypersonic missiles had been fired from Russia during their latest barrage, impacting dozens of civilian homes, hospitals and energy plants across Ukraine. “This attack represented one of the largest coordinated aerial attacks we had seen before.”
Zelensky was decidedly more forceful than in past weeks, calling for swift delivery of promised weapons as well as stronger political messaging from Washington. According to him, delays or ambiguity from Washington can be exploited by Russia; “we need clarity, unity, and courage as much as weapons”.
The U.S. State Department has yet to respond directly to Zelensky’s remarks, although National Security Council officials have repeatedly expressed Washington’s commitment to Ukraine while acknowledging some logistical challenges regarding aid delivery.
Analysts caution that persistent large-scale attacks such as this weekend’s may signal a change in strategy by Russia, perhaps in preparation for a summer offensive. “These attacks aren’t simply tactical; they’re designed to test Ukrainian resilience and international resolve,” according to Michael Anders, security expert from the Atlantic Council.
On the ground in Ukraine, humanitarian groups have reported an upsurge in displaced families and damage to health care services in eastern and southern regions, while power outages and water shortages are expected to worsen over the coming days.
As the war drags into its third year, Zelensky makes his point to the West: If freedom is truly shared value, then we must all defend it together by acting together.”
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