News from Russia and Ukraine! Ukraine was attacked on a large scale, and Putin was attacked on a large scale! Trump is

Source: Securities Times

**Another Large-Scale Attack Reported!**  

On May 26 local time, the Ukrainian Air Force announced that Russian forces launched an attack using 9 missiles and 355 drones. Ukrainian media reported that the number of drones deployed in this assault marked the highest since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.  

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 96 Ukrainian drones over several Russian regions in the early hours of May 26. Additionally, a commander of a Russian air defense division recently revealed that during President Vladimir Putin’s helicopter inspection of Kursk Oblast on May 20, his aircraft became the "center" of a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack.  

Notably, following Russia’s massive strike on Ukraine, former U.S. President Donald Trump sharply criticized both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on May 25. Trump expressed strong dissatisfaction with Putin, citing the high civilian casualties, and accused Zelensky of "creating trouble with every word he says."  

### **Ukraine Hit by Large-Scale Attack**  

According to CCTV News, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that starting at 20:15 on May 25, Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 9 missiles and 355 fixed-wing drones. By 11:00 on May 26, Ukrainian air defenses, electronic warfare units, and mobile fire teams had reportedly shot down 9 missiles and 288 drones.  

The attacks targeted multiple regions, including Odesa, Khmelnytskyi, and Kharkiv. Ukrainian media noted that the number of drones launched by Russia set a record high since the conflict began in February 2022. Russia has yet to respond to these claims.  

Separately, Russia’s Sputnik News Agency cited the Russian Defense Ministry as saying that air defenses intercepted and destroyed 96 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory in the early hours of May 26. The ministry detailed that 31 drones were downed over Bryansk Oblast, 16 over Belgorod Oblast, and others over Kursk, Tula, Oryol, Moscow, Kaluga, Ivanovo, Ryazan, Vladimir, Yaroslavl, and the Republic of Tatarstan.  

The ministry added that between 10:00 on May 25 and 08:00 on May 26, a total of 148 Ukrainian drones were destroyed over Russian regions.  

### **Trump Criticizes Putin and Zelensky**  

As reported by Xinhua News Agency, Trump lambasted both Putin and Zelensky on May 25 following Russia’s large-scale attack on Ukraine.  

When asked by reporters about the latest developments in the war, Trump said he was "very unhappy" with Putin due to the high death toll. "We’re in negotiations, and he’s launching rockets at Kyiv and other cities—I really don’t like that," Trump said, adding that he had known Putin for a long time and could not understand his actions this time.  

Trump also took to social media to criticize Zelensky, writing: "President Zelensky’s words are doing his country no good. Everything he says creates trouble. I don’t like it, and it needs to stop immediately."  

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that from the night of May 24 to the morning of May 25, Russian forces shot down 205 Ukrainian drones. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities stated that missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and over 30 other cities and villages killed at least 12 people.  

### **Putin’s Helicopter Targeted in Large-Scale Attack**  

According to a report by RT, Yuri Dashkin, commander of a Russian air defense division, revealed that during Putin’s visit to Kursk Oblast on May 20, the president’s helicopter became the focal point of a major Ukrainian drone attack.  

Dashkin stated in an interview aired on Russia-1 TV on May 25 that Ukrainian forces launched an "unprecedented" drone assault on Kursk Oblast while Putin was there. Russian air defenses reportedly destroyed 46 drones during the operation.  

"Our troops had to conduct air defense operations while ensuring the safety of the president’s helicopter in the air. The mission was successfully completed—all enemy drones were repelled, and all aerial targets were hit," Dashkin said.  

Over the past week, Ukraine has intensified drone attacks inside Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry reported that between May 20 and May 23, Russian forces intercepted 764 drones. The Defense Ministry noted that the scale of attacks remains high, with hundreds more drones destroyed on May 24 and 25.  

### **Medvedev Issues Warning**  

On May 25, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev warned that if Western military aid to the "Bandera regime" (referring to Ukraine’s government) continues, a security buffer zone could eventually cover nearly all of Ukraine.  

Medvedev shared a 14-second video on his Telegram channel showing how the buffer zone (marked in red) could expand across Ukraine (marked in blue). By the end of the clip, most of Ukraine is colored red, with only a small blue area remaining near Poland.  

Medvedev wrote: "If military aid to the Bandera regime continues, the security buffer could look like this."  

President Putin announced on May 22 that Russia would establish a security buffer zone in border regions to protect Bryansk, Belgorod, and Kursk from Ukrainian strikes.  

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the "Northern" troop grouping is currently carrying out combat missions to secure the border. Over the past week, Russian forces reportedly advanced in the Sumy and Kharkiv directions, capturing key settlements to establish the buffer and protect civilians.  

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