Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday ordered the military to increase long-range drone attacks on Russia to 1,000 a day, up from about 300 currently launched against Russian territory.

“There must be more: there is a specific goal, and we will accomplish this task”, Zelensky said in his evening address.

He also said the United States had provided Kyiv with information about several meetings held in Moscow in recent days, but did not disclose who had taken part. Zelensky thanked the US for the information and for what he described as the necessary tone in talks with Russia.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that CIA Director John Ratcliffe had traveled to Moscow to warn Russia against a possible attack on a NATO member state. The Kremlin dismissed the report, while US President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin would not attack a NATO country.

Two sources told Reuters that Ratcliffe had raised the possibility of a Russian operation against a NATO member during his talks in Moscow, although it was unclear whether this was the primary purpose of his trip. One source said the talks had also covered Russia’s support for Iran.

(Reuters, bak)