A meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents is presented as the most effective path to pursue peace amid ongoing drone strikes and stalled mediation. Ukrainian forces recaptured three villages in Donetsk and launched drone strikes on Russia that briefly ignited a fire at a nuclear power plant that was quickly extinguished. Moscow reported shooting down two drones headed for the capital and emergency services cleared debris sites. Russian attacks damaged civilian infrastructure and cut electricity in parts of Sumy region, with no casualties reported. US-brokered summit efforts have faltered and Russia calls for permanent UN Security Council guarantees.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin would be "the most effective way forward" despite stalled efforts to end the conflict and continued drone strikes by both sides. Zelenskyy, speaking on August 24 at a ceremony marking the country's Independence Day, vowed to "to push Russia to peace." Earlier on August 24, Kyiv's top general said that Ukrainian troops had recaptured three villages in the Donetsk region,
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said early on August 25 that Russian air defense units destroyed two drones flying toward the Russian capital. He said emergency services were working at the site where the debris fell. Russian attack late on August 24 left some settlements in the Sumy region without electricity, said the head of the regional military administration said. Russian troops also attacked civilian infrastructure in the Sumy region using guided bombs and strike drones, the official said. There were no casualties.
"The reaction to the Anchorage meeting, the gathering in Washington of these European representatives, and what they were doing after Washington indicates that they don't want peace," Lavrov said in the pre-taped interview. He added that permanent UN Security Council members -- China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States -- should be the guarantors of Ukraine's security.
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