Fact Check Analysis: Escalation in Ukraine, Drone Attacks, and Trump’s Claim
Amid a dramatic escalation in drone attacks between Ukraine and Russia, a recent ABC News article has garnered substantial attention. Many readers flagged the article after a mention that President Donald Trump had “promised to end Russia’s war on its neighbor in 24 hours,” prompting questions about the accuracy of this claim. Our investigation confirms several key facts reported in the article but also identifies areas with incomplete verification and assumptions that require scrutiny.
Historical Context
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been ongoing since 2014, intensifying dramatically with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Western nations, including the U.S., have provided Ukraine with military aid, while diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have repeatedly stalled. Discussions about peace deals and ceasefires resurfaced following Donald Trump’s return to office in January 2025. Trump has long claimed he could quickly negotiate an end to the war, a stance that remains central to his foreign policy rhetoric.
Claim #1: President Donald Trump promised to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office.
This claim is accurate. President Trump has publicly stated on numerous occasions that he could bring the Russia-Ukraine war to an end within 24 hours of resuming the presidency. In a CNN town hall on May 10, 2023, Trump said, “I will have that war settled in one day, 24 hours,” referencing negotiations with both President Zelenskyy and President Putin. He repeated similar rhetoric during campaign stops throughout 2024.
However, while the statement was indeed a campaign pledge, the article implies he made the same promise after officially taking office in 2025. This distinction is important: there is no direct evidence Trump formally reiterated this specific timeline after resuming office.
Source: CNN Town Hall Coverage — May 2023
Claim #2: Hundreds of Ukrainian drones struck Russian territory, including Moscow, on May 28, 2025.
This claim aligns with reporting from multiple independent agencies. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Ukrainian forces launched 296 drones over 12 Russian regions, including the capital, Moscow. Ukrainian sources also reported targeting military and industrial facilities. While Ukraine rarely confirms such operations outright, this level of detail from both sides suggests the drone offensive did occur as reported.
Additionally, flight disruptions and damage to homes in the Moscow region were confirmed by Moscow governor Andrei Vorobyov, reinforcing the article’s account.
Source: Reuters – Drone Strike Reporting
Claim #3: Ukraine successfully struck key Russian military-industrial targets north of Moscow.
This claim is attributed to Andriy Kovalenko of Ukraine’s Counter-Disinformation Center, who stated that Ukrainian drones hit the Dubna Machine-Building Plant and the Technopark ELMA-Zelenograd facility. However, the article admits that “ABC News could not immediately verify Kovalenko’s claim.” Currently, there is no independent confirmation or satellite imagery verifying successful hits on these specific facilities.
In the absence of external verification, this remains an unverified claim from a partisan source, and readers should approach it cautiously. As of this writing, neither Western intelligence sources nor neutral watchdog agencies have provided confirmation of these specific targets being impacted.
Verdict: Insufficient evidence.
Claim #4: The intensity of attacks has increased since Trump returned to office in January 2025.
This claim is partially accurate but lacks direct causality. While there has indeed been an uptick in drone strikes and hostilities in 2025, multiple geopolitical and military analytics groups, including the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), have noted that both sides have been preparing for offensives regardless of political developments in the U.S. The statement makes a tenuous inference that may suggest blame or credit to the U.S. president without substantiating a cause-effect relationship.
The claim may reflect a correlation but not a proven causation between Trump’s return to office and increased combat intensity.
Source: Institute for the Study of War
Conclusion
The ABC News article overall presents a largely accurate summary of the recent drone escalation between Ukraine and Russia. President Trump’s quotes are accurately attributed, and most of the military details reflect credible sources. However, some claims—particularly those about Ukrainian strikes on specific Russian industrial sites—remain unverified. In addition, the article implies Trump’s promise was made post-inauguration and draws causal inferences about conflict intensity tied to his presidency that are not fully substantiated.
Although the article maintains a generally neutral tone, the placement and sequencing of quotes could reflect subtle framing bias—particularly around Trump’s efficacy in foreign policy. Nonetheless, the facts presented are largely correct, with appropriate caveats in place where verification isn’t yet possible.
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Visit the original article here: https://abcnews.go.com/International/hundreds-drones-attack-russia-impacts-disruption-reported-moscow/story?id=122256829
