POKROVSK REGION, Ukraine (AP) — A dire shortage of infantry troops and supply routes coming under Russian drone attacks are conspiring against Ukrainian forces in Pokrovsk, where decisive battles in the nearly three-year war are playing out — and time is running short.

Russia blasted Ukraine with a massive bombardment, launching 42 missiles and 123 drones in a coordinated assault, marking the first large-scale attack since Jan. 15. Ukrainian air defense forces intercepted 56 drones,

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that excluding his country from talks between the U.S. and Russia about the war in Ukraine would be “very dangerous.”

Meanwhile, in Washington, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the war is setting Ukraine back 100 years. Zelenskyy responded by inviting him to visit — to witness firsthand the destruction, but also see Ukraine's technological advancements, particularly in drone warfare, where he says Ukraine remains decades ahead of the world.

There are increasing reports from the front about extensive Ukrainian drone attacks on targets in Russia. In response, Moscow has deployed a record number of drones in recent months. "We have a positional war on both sides,

U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that members of his administration are already in talks with Russian authorities about ending Moscow’s war on Ukraine. “We will be speaking, and I think we’ll perhaps do something that’ll be significant,

US President Donald Trump has stated that his administration is engaged in talks with Ukraine, Russia and other parties. Source: Trump’s comments to journalists late on 2 February, as reported by RFE/RL Quote: "We're dealing with Ukraine and Russia.