Skip next section WATCH: German FM has doubts Putin will meet with Zelenskyy
08/21/2025August 21, 2025
WATCH: German FM has doubts Putin will meet with Zelenskyy
During his inaugural trip to Asia, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul gave his assessment of the current state of Russia’s war against Ukraine in a DW interview. While international efforts to find a peaceful solution are increasing, Wadephul remains skeptical about whether a direct meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin will take place.
https://p.dw.com/p/4zImh
Skip next section Poland scrambles jets amid Russian attacks
08/21/2025August 21, 2025
Poland scrambles jets amid Russian attacks
The Polish military said Thursday morning that an air force deployment related to large scale Russian attacks on neighboring Ukraine ended without any violations of Polish airspace detected.
“Due to the reduction in the threat level posed by Russian air force missile attacks on Ukrainian territory, the operations of the Polish and allied air forces in Polish airspace have been completed,” the military posted on social media.
Poland had earlier scrambled fighter jets in response to what it said was deployment of Russian long-rang aircraft carrying out attacks on Ukrainian territory.
The deployment came after pieces of what appeared to be a Russian drone outside a village in eastern Poland on Wednesday.
“Once again, we are dealing with a provocation by the Russian Federation, with a Russian drone,” Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said Wednesday.
On Thursday, a regional prosecutor told reporters there was a “high probability” that the object in question was fired from neighboring Belarus.
https://p.dw.com/p/4zIGk
Skip next section Russia fires hundreds of drones and missiles at Kyiv, Lviv
08/21/2025August 21, 2025
Russia fires hundreds of drones and missiles at Kyiv, Lviv
overnight into Thursday with hundreds of drones and missiles, in the most intense assault seen in weeks.
The Ukrainian Air Force said that Russian forces launched 574 drones and 40 missiles, of which 546 drones and 31 missiles were shot down by air defenses.
The Ukrainian military said Russia deployed aircraft, along with hypersonic, ballistic and cruise missiles during the assault.
Hits were recorded at eleven locations, with debris striking three others. Explosions were reported in the capital Kyiv, along with the western city of Lviv.
One person was reported killed in the strike on Lviv, with two others injured, according to regional governor Maksym Kozytskyi.
Dozens of residential buildings were damaged in the attack.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said a civilian factory belonging to a US electronics manufacturer in western Ukraine was hit and severely damaged.
Air raid sirens had already sounded in Kyiv on Wednesday evening, and drone attacks had continued there throughout the night, with air defenses active, and residents were urged to stay in air raid shelters.
No details of injuries or damage were immediately reported from Kyiv.
https://p.dw.com/p/4zI5E
Skip next section Welcome to our coverage08/21/2025August 21, 2025
Welcome to our coverage
Today, we are reporting on the largest Russian aerial assault on Ukraine in weeks, targeting primarily the capital, Kyiv, and the western city of Lviv, where at least one person was reported killed.
The scale of the attack prompted Poland to scramble jets as a precaution.
The attack comes as the US tries to broker an end to the war, with Vice President JD Vance saying European states will need to do the heavy lifting on guaranteeing Ukrainian security.
But talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin to reach an agreement still looks far from certain.
https://p.dw.com/p/4zI1y
The post Ukraine: Russia launches largest strikes in weeks appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
