According to Kyiv, Russia unleashed its largest drone assault on Ukraine overnight, occurring just hours after US President Donald Trump labeled Russian President Vladimir Putin as “crazy” and cautioned that new sanctions awaited Russia if their bombardment continued.
While Mr. Trump has been attempting to negotiate an end to the three-year conflict, he has struggled to secure significant concessions from Russia, despite numerous talks between his administration and Moscow, as well as several phone conversations with Mr. Putin.
For three nights in a row, Russia has relentlessly targeted Ukraine with extensive drone strikes, overwhelming its air defenses and resulting in the deaths of at least 12 individuals yesterday, as reported by officials.
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In an uncommon reprimand of the Russian leader, Mr. Trump expressed on his Truth Social platform: “I’ve always maintained a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!”
“I’ve always asserted that he desires ALL of Ukraine, not merely a section of it, and perhaps that’s proving to be true, but if so, it will lead to Russia’s downfall!”
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed hope that Mr. Trump’s outrage towards Russia would translate “into action,” adding that the US president recognizes that Mr. Putin is not prepared for peace.
‘Critical moment’
Russia downplayed Mr. Trump’s criticism, asserting that Mr. Putin is taking steps “necessary to ensure Russia’s security.”
“This is an exceedingly critical moment, filled with emotional stress for everyone, accompanied by emotional reactions,” stated Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov to reporters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky remarked that the attacks demonstrated Russia’s sense of “impunity.”
“The escalation in Russian strikes must be met with heightened sanctions,” he stated on social media.
Watch: Trump says he is ‘not happy’ with Putin following latest attack on Ukraine
Since its invasion of Ukraine commenced in February 2022, tens of thousands have died, towns and cities have been obliterated, and the crisis has led to the most significant rift in relations with the West since the Cold War.
While Ukraine did not report any immediate fatalities from the latest drone attack, it noted that Russian shelling in the past 24 hours resulted in the death of a civilian man in the northern Sumy region.
Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yuriy Ignat warned that it was becoming increasingly challenging to counter the overwhelming number of drones that Russia was deploying.
“We need smarter and more economical means to shoot them down,” he told Ukrainian television.
Russia claimed it had seized two border villages in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, where it has been conducting an offensive for several weeks.
Blast sounds echoed in Kyiv
Mr. Trump informed reporters yesterday that he was “not happy” regarding Russia’s attacks on Ukraine and was “absolutely” contemplating increasing sanctions on Russia.
AFP reporters in Kyiv heard loud explosions from air defense systems early today.
Russia launched “355 Shahed-type drones,” including decoys, at Ukraine from last night to early today, along with nine cruise missiles, as reported by Ukraine’s air force.
Ukraine’s emergency services characterized the atmosphere in the country as one of ‘terror.’
Air force spokesperson Yuriy Ignat told AFP that this was the largest drone attack since the Russian invasion began.
Air alerts in Kyiv persisted for six hours, according to officials.
In the western Khmelnytsky region, Russian aerial strikes damaged 18 residential buildings, as reported by authorities.
A Russian attack also injured a 14-year-old boy in the southern Odesa region, according to the region’s governor.
Diplomatic initiatives to resolve the conflict have accelerated recently, with Russian and Ukrainian officials engaging in direct talks in Turkey earlier this month, marking their first such discussions in three years.
The third and final phase of the largest prisoner of war exchange was successfully completed between Ukraine and Russia.
Both sides exchanged 1,000 individuals over the weekend in their largest prisoner swap to date, while Russia announced that it was preparing a document outlining its terms for peace to conclude the conflict.
Nonetheless, Russia has consistently dismissed proposals for a 30-day ceasefire from Ukraine and its Western allies, while continuing to advance on the front lines.
Ukraine’s SBU security service reported the arrest of multiple individuals, including a teenager, for acting as “informants” for Moscow, allegedly guiding Russian strikes on Ukrainian territory.
