Marking its independence day, Ukraine launched a series of drone attacks on Russian territory, one of which reportedly ignited a fire at a nuclear power facility. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that these actions followed ignored appeals for peaceful resolution.

Despite diplomatic efforts and pressure from the U.S. to facilitate a meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, peace prospects appear to have stalled. Russia has expressed openness to a direct meeting between the two leaders, but tensions remain high.

Tit-for-tat attacks have persisted throughout the three-and-a-half-year conflict. Recent ukrainian actions included a drone strike in response to a Russian jet being shot down, which allegedly led to a fire at a nuclear power plant in western Russia.

ukraine also reportedly deployed ten unmanned aerial vehicles towards the Port of Ust-Luga in the Gulf of Finland.Russian forces intercepted these drones, but their interception resulted in a fire at a fuel terminal operated by the russian energy firm Novatek.

“This is how Ukraine attacks when her call for peace is ignored,”

according to Ukrainian sources,russia launched an overnight assault involving ballistic missiles and 72 Iranian-made Shahed drones. The Ukrainian Air Force claims to have downed 48 of these drones. One of the attacks resulted in the death of a 47-year-old woman in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Zelensky Declares Ukraine a Warrior

These recent events coincided with Ukraine’s commemoration of its 1991 independence from the Soviet Union. President Zelensky asserted that the attacks were a response to ignored calls for peace.

“This is how Ukraine attacks when her call for peace is ignored,” Zelenksy stated during his independence day address, as reported by AFP.

“Today, both the US and Europe agree: Ukraine has not yet won fully, but certainly will not lose. Ukraine has secured its independence. Ukraine is not a victim; he is a warrior,” Zelensky added.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was present in Kyiv during the independence day commemoration, expressing his hope for “Fair and Eternal Peace for Ukraine.”

Zelensky also expressed gratitude to other world leaders, including U.S. president Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, King Charles, and Pope Francis, for their messages of support.

Currently, Russia controls approximately one-fifth of Ukraine, including the Crimean Peninsula, which it annexed in 2014.

The conflict has led to the displacement of millions of people and widespread destruction in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Putin has consistently rejected calls from Ukraine and the West for an unconditional ceasefire.

On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that a meeting between Putin and Zelensky, which was planned with Trump’s mediation, did not occur. Zelensky has accused Russia of seeking to prolong the conflict.