Ukraine launches more than 1,000 drones at Russia as spat between Trump
and Zelenskyy continues
[October 19, 2026]
Ukrainian strikes set an oil export terminal and a depot ablaze in St.
Petersburg on Sunday as Kyiv launched more than 1,000 drones at Russia
in one of its largest aerial attacks of the war.
The strikes came as tensions between Kyiv and Washington deepened, with
U.S. President Donald Trump criticizing Kyiv’s attacks on Russian oil
infrastructure and the prospect of further U.S. sanctions against Moscow
still uncertain.
Trump said Sunday that he decided to hold off on implementing new
sanctions on Russia because he doesn’t “want to do anything that will
drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table.”
In a social media post, the U.S. president defended his Friday order to
issue a waiver to prevent new sanctions from being placed on Moscow from
bipartisan criticism that he was favoring Russian President Vladimir
Putin’s interests over those of Ukraine. Trump said he believed new
sanctions would undermine negotiations to bring about a diplomatic end
to the war in Ukraine.
“I can sign it later, or any time that I want!” Trump added of the
sanctions.
Trump also lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who
has been critical of Trump’s recent outreach to Putin, for launching
strikes on Russian energy infrastructure during the conflict, claiming
Zelenskyy “doesn’t want to end this war.”
Zelenskyy: Waiving sanctions strengthens Russia
Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press” earlier on Sunday, Zelenskyy said
waiving sanctions against Russia would strengthen Putin’s war effort. He
also said U.S.-Ukraine intelligence sharing had resumed after being
“blocked for some period of time.”
Zelenskyy said that while he trusted Trump, siding with Moscow would be
a tragedy and a “historic mistake” for Washington.
“People want to forget what’s going on. But we can’t give this
possibility to forget, or to change reality, or to change the truth,”
Zelenskyy said. “We can’t compare me and Putin. He’s (an) aggressor. He
occupied us. He killed adults and children, his soldiers. He’s a
terrorist. And that’s why I hope that President Trump will be very clear
with this position.”
Later Sunday, Zelenskyy said on social media that he had spoken with
U.S. presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about the
results of an Oct. 9 meeting between U.S. and Ukrainian negotiating
teams in Miami, as well as “next steps in diplomacy.”
Two killed as Russia and Ukraine trade blows
One person was killed and five others were wounded in the St. Petersburg
attack, which sparked fires at the Petersburg Oil Terminal and the
city’s Ruchi oil depot, local Gov. Alexander Beglov said. A logistics
center belonging to Russian retailer Ozon and a data center operated by
Russian tech giant VK were also targeted, the companies confirmed.
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Smoke billows into the sky following Ukrainian drone strikes on an
industrial zone in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026.
(UGC via AP)
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Sunday that its forces had destroyed
1,015 Ukrainian drones over 15 Russian regions, the annexed
Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and the Black Sea.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state news agency
Tass that Kyiv was “resisting” Moscow’s invasion but could not
“change the current course of events.”
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, a woman was killed and a 6-year-old girl was
among at least two other people wounded in two Russian attacks on
the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, local officials said
Sunday.
Russia continues energy attacks, Kyiv says
Trump announced on Oct. 11 that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an
“energy ceasefire” in the 4½-year-old war, but offered no details.
Kyiv reported Russian attacks on energy sites continued after
Trump's announcement, and on Thursday said it had resumed strikes on
Russian oil facilities after a three-day pause.
Zelenskyy wrote on X on Sunday that Russia had attacked Ukraine’s
energy, oil and gas sectors 76 times in the week since Trump’s
announcement. The Ukrainian government initially said it was
observing the ceasefire.
Energy facilities in four Ukrainian regions were struck overnight,
leaving tens of thousands of families without power, he said,
accusing Russia of trying to cause a blackout.
“America should see that Russia is not taking any reciprocal steps
in response to sanctions relief or agreements. On the contrary, they
take every signal of an opportunity to make money as proof that
their bet on war is paying off and they can keep fighting,” the
Ukrainian president wrote.
Ukraine apology to Lithuania over drone alert
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry apologized on Sunday after a drone
entered Lithuania’s airspace, prompting authorities to issue an air
raid warning.
Russian electronic warfare may have diverted the drone during a
Ukrainian operation against legitimate military targets in Russia,
ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said in a statement.
Lithuanian authorities urged residents in two northern counties
along the Latvian border to take cover early Sunday because of a
possible drone incursion, public broadcaster LRT reported.
A drone entered the northern Pasvalys region and damaged a moving
car, LRT said, citing Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Center.
No injuries were reported.
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