Russia, Ukraine launch overnight drone strikes: Unbiased Updates, May 26, 2025
Russia batters Ukraine despite another prisoner swap as Trump blasts Putin. Plus, condolences from the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to Israel, following the murder of two Israeli embassy staffers on U.S. soil. And tariffs delayed: The thaw in relations between Trump and the European Union on this Monday follows a frosty Friday.
Russia, Ukraine launch overnight drone attacks
After an initial breakthrough with a prisoner swap, Russia and Ukraine continued attacks across each other’s borders. Ukraine’s air force says Moscow launched 364 missiles and drones overnight. Ukraine shot many of them down. Russia’s defense ministry says it downed more than 100 Ukrainian drones over its territory.
The exchange of attacks came after Russia returned more than 300 Ukrainian prisoners of war, following another prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine.
The exchange marked a moment of cooperation amid an otherwise fruitless effort to reach a ceasefire in a war that is now in its fourth year.
In talks earlier this month in Turkey, Ukraine and Russia agreed to swap one thousand prisoners of war and civilian captives each. This is the third and final part of that exchange.
The cooperation came hours after Russia attacked Kyiv and other regions of Ukraine in drone and missile attacks that killed at least 12 people and injured dozens more. Ukrainian officials say it’s the largest aerial assault since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
It was the third straight night that Moscow’s drones struck Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv.
U.S. President Trump did not mince words when reporters asked him Sunday night about Russia’s Vladimir Putin and the latest Russian attacks: “We’re in the middle of talking,” Trump exclaimed, “and he’s shooting rockets into Kyiv and other cities. I don’t like it at all.”
Trump also wrote on Truth Social last night that Putin “has gone absolutely crazy.”
But Trump also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying that he “is doing his country no favors by talking the way he does. Everything out of his mouth causes problems. I don’t like, and it better stop.”
Moscow did not immediately comment on the strikes. Zelenskyy called for Western allies to step up sanctions against Russia in order to bring some relief to Ukraine.
Trump agrees to delay 50% tariffs on EU goods until July 9
President Trump says the U.S. will delay implementing a 50% tariff on European Union products from June 1st until July 9th to allow time for talks with the bloc. The agreement came following a phone conversation with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
Trump says she’s serious about talks. “She just called me, as you know,” Trump said. “And she asked for an extension on the June 1st date. And she said she wants to get down to serious negotiation because I told you, specifically, and I told anyone that would listen. They have to do that. And we had a very nice call, and I agreed to move it. I believe July 9th would be the date. That is the date she requested. Could we move it from June 1 to July 9? And I agreed to do that, and that she said, we will rapidly get together and see if we can work something out.”
The move follows Trump’s social media post on Friday in which the president threatened 50% tariffs on imports from the European Union. Those duties would’ve started on June 1st. The Dow dropped 256 points and the S&P 500 was off by nearly 40 points Friday following the threat.
But the call with the von der Leyen appears to have eased tensions. Von der Leyen said that the U.S. and EU “share the world’s most consequential and close trade relationship,” and that “Europe is ready to advance talks swiftly and decisively.”
Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ faces hurdles in Senate
House Speaker Mike Johnson has one big request of Senate Republicans as they work to pass President Trump’s budget bill: Don’t make any big changes to the legislation. Johnson says he expects the package the House sent over to be modified “as little as possible,” citing the bill’s narrow passage in the House on Thursday.
House Republicans approved what Trump calls the “big, beautiful bill” by just one vote, with two Republicans voting against it.
Some Republican senators have raised concerns about changes to Medicaid. Under the current version of the bill, at least 8.4 million Americans are projected to lose health insurance coverage as a result of those changes.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune also says he’d like to see some tax cuts become permanent instead of expiring in a few years. Others, however, did not wish to extend the tax cuts at all.
However, the biggest hurdle the bill now faces is from GOP deficit hawks like Rand Paul, who warn that the legislation increases the deficit significantly. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the bill will increase the federal deficit by $3.8 trillion over the next ten years while also slashing funds for health care, food stamps and other welfare programs.
The Senate may vote to pass the bill as is, make modifications or reject it. If the Senate passes an amended version, both chambers will have to go to conference committee to work out differences before it heads to President Trump’s desk.
Noem visits Israel in wake of DC embassy employee killings
Homeland security Kristi Noem is visiting Israel today. The diplomatic trip is meant to show support for the victims of a deadly shooting of two Israeli embassy employees in Washington, D.C. last week.
Noem says President Trump requested she go to Israel after the murders of Sarah Milgrim and her boyfriend, Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, outside a Jewish museum in D.C.
Noem said: “President Trump extends his greetings and his grief to all of you. And he stands with you as we fight this hatred in this world. And know that Yaron and Sarah’s lives will be of significance and matter, and will bring a unity among us that will help us defeat our enemies.”
Following a visit to Bahrain, Noem arrived in Israel yesterday and met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Man charged with attempting to firebomb US Embassy in Tel Aviv
A dual American-German citizen made an appearance in federal court Sunday in New York on charges linked to the alleged attempted firebombing of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv.
Police say Joseph Neumeyer went to Israel in April. On May 19, he posted a call to arms on Facebook, specifically stating his goal to “burn down the embassy in Tel Aviv” and adding “Death to America.”
That same day, investigators say he arrived outside the branch office of the embassy with a backpack. After being confronted, Neumeyer reportedly ran off and left his backpack behind.
Police say they found several bottles that could’ve been used as Molotov cocktails in his backpack.
Authorities later apprehended him at a hotel and sent back to the United States.
Prosecutors say some of Neumeyer’s social media posts also called for the killing of President Donald Trump.
FBI Director Kash Patel says Neumeyer “will now face justice.”
Cocomelon leaving Netflix for Disney+
Finally, this morning, a big shake-up in the streaming of Cocomelon. The pre-school hit show is leaving Netflix and moving to Disney+ in January of 2027.
It’s a deal worth tens of millions of dollars and which symbolizes how competitive children’s programming has become.
Cocomelon now has billions of views on YouTube, hitting 600 million views back in 2023. It has fun songs, lots of bright colors and animation, and toddler-type characters.
The acquisition adds another children’s show to Disney, which already has shows like Bluey, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Spidey and His Amazing Friends.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
