Five dead in Ukraine-Russian drone duels; Zelensky optimistic

July 26 (UPI) — Russia and Ukraine on Saturday exchanged drone attacks, with five people dead in the overnight strikes, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed optimism about his nation’s military progress.

Zelensky said Ukraine was winning the war against Russia, which invaded his country in February 2022. Since then, Ukraine has regained some territory.

“Russian military enterprises, Russian logistics and Russian airfields must see that Russia’s own war is now hitting them back with real consequences,” Zelensky posted Saturday on X. “The precision of our drones, the daily nature of Ukraine’s responses — are some of the arguments that we will surely bring peace closer.”

In Ukraine on Saturday, Russia used more than 200 drones and almost 300 missiles, mainly in Dnipropetrovsk. Three people died there.

In Russia, a car caught fire after a drone strike, killing two, Rostov’s acting governor, Yury Slyusar, said.

Military on both sides claimed success.

Russia said soldiers took two villages in eastern Ukraine: Zelenyi Hai in the Donetsk region and Maliivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Zelensky said his troops were “gradually pushing Russian forces out” of the Sumy region.

“Although this region remains one of the enemy’s priority directions, our forces consistently block Russian attempts to advance deeper into the Sumy region from the border areas,” Zelensky wrote on X.

Zelensky noted Russia’s airstrikes targeted Kharkin and Sumy.

At least six people, including two children, were injured after Russian forces attacked Kharkiv with glide bombs, rockets and drones, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported.

A village in the region — Kindrativka — reportedly was liberated from Russian control.

“Particular attention was given to the Pokrovsk direction — just over the past day alone, there were 51 intense engagements,” Zelensky posted on X. “Ukrainian units are defending their positions, and every elimination of occupiers is of great value.”

He said he plans to discuss with other nations the need for more weapons.

Zelnsky said he has commitments from Germany for two Patriot missile systems and one from Norway. He said he’s working on Patriot help from the Netherlands

Zelensky said drone production will significantly exceed figures projected at the start of the year.

Peace talks

Fighting is continuing amid hopes to end the war.

Delagations from both nations met on Wednesday in Istanbul but both sides rejected each other’s ideas.

In May, there were two rounds of cease-fire talks, also in Turkey, at the urging of President Donald Trump, who wants an end to the “horrible, bloody war.”

In Scotland, Trump plans to meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday about ending the war.

Trump said before departing for Scotland on Friday that he was still considering “severe” secondary sanctions against Russia. On July 14, he suggested they would go into effect in 50 days if Russia doesn’t end the war.

“We’re looking at that whole situation,” Trump said Friday.

Trump said he is backing Zelensky’s proposed summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “It’s going to happen, but it should have happened three months ago,” Trump said.

The Kremlin said a summit with Zelensky will only occur as a final step for a peace deal.

Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it is unlikely Putin will accommodate Ukraine’s proposal for the meeting at the end of August.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he plans to speak with Trump and Putin about conveying the talks in his nation.