Ukraine Still Isn’t Defeated

Daring drone raids on air bases deep inside Russia show Kyiv’s continuing will to fight.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) meeting with the head of Ukraine's Security Service Vasyl Malyuk (R) in Kyiv on Sunday.

JD Vance likes to say that Ukraine isn’t winning its war with Russia, which the Vice President seems to think is an argument for withdrawing U.S. military support. But if the will to fight is worth something, then Ukraine is still showing its mettle as it tries to repel the Kremlin’s designs for conquest.

Ukraine Still Isn’t Defeated

Ukraine’s daring weekend drone attack on military bases deep inside Russia is a brilliant example of creativity and resolve. Ukraine sources say it was able to smuggle drones across Russia, fire them at close proximity to air bases, and destroy numerous aircraft. The planes reportedly included bombers that fire cruise missiles at Ukraine and some that can carry nuclear payloads.

It isn’t clear how many planes were destroyed, but there was enough damage that Russia’s defense ministry felt obliged to acknowledge the strikes. Bases were hit in Siberia and in the far Russian east.

The drone raids won’t alter the course of the war, but they show the ability of Ukraine to strike far from its border with Russia. The intelligence required to pull off the operation, supposedly in the planning for 18 months, is also reason for the Kremlin to be discomfited. Did Ukraine have some Russian help?

Ukraine suffered a setback on Sunday when a Russian missile attack on a military training site killed a dozen people and wounded many more. Russia still has the advantage in firepower, especially in missiles that need to be intercepted with Ukraine’s dwindling supply of air-defense interceptors. The Trump Administration says it wants to stop the killing, but the best way to do that is to supply more air defenses to Kyiv.

Ukraine says it is sending a delegation to Turkey on Monday for what is supposed to be the next round of peace talks with Russia. But it doesn’t appear that Russia is willing to put any serious proposal on the table, a continuing insult to President Trump’s demands for a cease-fire.

It’s time for Sens. Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal to move their bill sanctioning countries that buy oil and gas from Russia. Republicans want to defer to Mr. Trump, but Senators aren’t potted plants. Sooner rather than later, they need to show they mean what they say about helping a desperate ally fight for its freedom against a marauding dictator who won’t stop if he succeeds in Ukraine.