The military escalation between Russia and Ukraine continues this Saturday, despite international efforts led by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the war that has been ongoing since February 2022.

In the latest field developments, the governor of Russia’s Volgograd region, Andrey Busharov, announced that three people, including a child, were injured following a Ukrainian drone attack on the region. According to a statement shared by the regional government on Telegram, “On the night of August 23, Russian air defense systems repelled a large-scale drone attack on Volgograd territory… resulting in injuries to three individuals, including a child.”

Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that its air defense systems destroyed seven Ukrainian drones overnight in the skies over the Rostov and Volgograd regions, as well as Krasnodar Krai. The ministry’s statement added, “During the night… air defense systems destroyed seven Ukrainian drones: four over Rostov, two over Volgograd, and one over Krasnodar.”

Moscow also launched a heavy overnight assault on Ukraine using drones and missiles. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia deployed 574 drones and 40 missiles—marking a record number since mid-July. The strikes resulted in casualties and injuries, with explosions echoing throughout Kyiv during the night.

Prospects for a summit between Russia and Ukraine diminished on Friday after President Trump announced he would make a “major decision” within two weeks, which could include imposing sanctions on Russia amid stalled U.S. mediation efforts.

Earlier in the week, Trump had stated that both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy—whom he met separately—had agreed to a proposed summit. However, on Friday, he likened them to “oil and water,” emphasizing the difficulty of bringing them together for a joint meeting.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov declared that “there are no plans for a meeting” between the two presidents. Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited Kyiv to discuss key issues, including potential security guarantees for Ukraine.

Trump remarked, “In two weeks, we’ll know which direction I’ll take,” adding, “It will be a very important decision—either massive sanctions, tariffs, or both, or we’ll do nothing and say, ‘This is your fight.’”

He also revealed that he might invite the Russian leader to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals in the U.S. if progress is made on the Ukraine issue.

Lavrov further dampened hopes for direct talks between Putin and Zelenskyy by questioning the legitimacy of the Ukrainian president and reiterating the Kremlin’s hardline demands.

In Kyiv, Zelenskyy, speaking alongside Rutte, stated that Ukraine “has no agreements with the Russians,” noting that his country has only coordinated with Trump on how to proceed with diplomatic efforts.

On Thursday, the Ukrainian president accused Russia of “trying to evade holding a meeting,” adding that Moscow seeks to continue its offensive.

The issue of potential security guarantees for Ukraine has become central to U.S.-led diplomatic efforts aimed at brokering a peace deal to end the war.