Russia Intensifies Bombardment as Zelenskyy Negotiates with Trump Envoys

On February 25–26, 2026, Zelenskyy held high-level talks with Trump and U.S. envoys on security guarantees for Ukraine while Russia launched 420 drones and 39 missiles—one of the conflict's most intensive aerial barrages. The simultaneity reflects Moscow's consistent strategy: escalate military pressure during active diplomacy. For Kyiv, the burden is acute: sustain air defense and frontline operations while negotiating the war's most complex diplomatic sequence.