Ukrainian drones strike Moscow Oblast plant, black out Crimea as Zelensky-Trump meeting looms
Ukraine's overnight strikes on Russian and occupied territory come as Kyiv's battlefield momentum appears to be reshaping its standing in Washington
Ukrainian drones struck a steel fabrication plant in Chekhov, Moscow Oblast. The Hydrostalkonstruktsiya factory was reportedly hit as Russian air defenses engaged. Moscow Oblast Governor Andrey Vorobyov confirmed the attack on Chekhov, saying a residential building was struck and fallen drone debris set tires ablaze in an open area, while a home in the nearby village of Vaulovo also caught fire. A logistics warehouse serving several Russian companies in the village of Koledino, just 20 kilometers south of Moscow, was set ablaze as well.
Separately, power was knocked out to the occupied Crimean city of Feodosia, amid overnight strikes, according to monitoring channels. An electric substation in Feodosia was reportedly struck, leaving much of the city without power. However, those details could not be immediately verified.
The intensifying campaign coincides with a marked shift in Trump's posture toward Zelensky. After more than a year of telling advisers privately that Ukraine was losing the war, the Wall Street Journal reports Trump has in recent weeks expressed fresh optimism about Kyiv, with people close to the president citing his admiration for Zelensky's resilience and Ukraine's drone industry.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Washington and is expected to meet with President Trump at the White House on Tuesday. He will also attend the funeral ceremony for the late Senator Lindsey Graham.
During his meeting with Trump, Zelensky is looking to secure a greater defense partnership with the US and bolster domestic military production. During the NATO summit, Trump announced his intention to allow Ukraine to produce anti-aircraft Patriot missiles. "This way he can't complain that we're not giving enough. Make them yourself," Trump said.