Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he has set the military a target of launching 1,000 long-range drones at Russian territory per day, up from the current average of about 300. The statement followed a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff, where Zelensky said the priority is ramping up weapons production to defend against Russian strikes, including Iranian-made Shahed drones, and increasing the frequency of long-range strikes on Russia.
"The task is 1,000 drones for long-range sanctions per day against Russia. Now there are on average 300 plus of our long-range sanctions, there should be more," Zelensky said, adding that the goal is "absolutely concrete" and Ukraine will achieve it.
Zelensky also said Kyiv had received information from the American side "about meetings in Moscow" that took place in recent days. He thanked Washington for the intelligence, saying he values the "coordination of steps" and "realistic vision" of the United States. On August 25, CIA Director John Ratcliffe made an unannounced visit to Moscow. U.S. President Donald Trump called the trip "semi-routine" and reiterated his desire to end the war.
According to Zelensky, systematic Ukrainian strikes on targets inside Russia are already yielding economic and logistical results: Russia's gasoline reserves have shrunk, logistics problems have emerged, and the country has begun importing fuel for the first time. The president warned that losses for the Kremlin will grow if Moscow continues to avoid negotiations to end the war.