According to Ukrainian officials, at least 25 people have died in the latest wave of Russian strikes, and the conflict is far from over.
On Saturday, local officials reported that one attack in the Donetsk Region killed at least 11 people and injured 40 others, including six children. Other regions, such as Kharkiv and Odesa, suffered damage to their infrastructure and homes.
Russian attacks have escalated in recent days, as the US has suspended military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. It came after President Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine clashed in the Oval Office last week.
Following the latest Russian strikes, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated: “This is what happens when someone appeases barbarians.”
“More bombs, more aggression, and more victims,” he wrote in a social media post.
The most deadly strikes occurred late on Friday in the Donetsk Region town of Dobropillya. At least 11 people were killed when two ballistic missiles struck eight residential buildings and a shopping mall, according to officials.
In a Telegram post, Zelensky stated that Russia launched another strike “deliberately targeting the rescuers” after emergency services arrived. “Such strikes show that Russia’s goals are unchanged,” he added.
Other attacks in the region killed nine people and injured 13 on Friday and Saturday, local officials said.
Drones struck a company in Bohodukhiv, Kharkiv Region, early Saturday, killing three and injuring seven, according to regional head Oleh Synyehubov.
Another drone attack on civilian and energy infrastructure in Odesa occurred on Friday, according to the regional head. “This is the seventh attack on the region’s energy system in three weeks,” the DTEK energy company stated.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has continued to target Russia, with the defence ministry reporting that 31 Ukrainian drones were intercepted overnight.
On Friday, Trump stated that he is finding it “more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine” than Russia in his efforts to broker peace between the two countries.
The United States is “doing very well with Russia,” and “it may be easier dealing with” Moscow than Kyiv, he told reporters.
Hours earlier, Trump stated that he was “strongly considering” imposing large-scale sanctions and tariffs on Russia until a cease-fire with Ukraine was reached.
In addition to cutting off military and intelligence assistance, the US has suspended Ukraine’s access to some satellite imagery, space technology company Maxar announced on Friday.
The move came exactly one week after an extraordinary exchange at the White House in which Trump chastised Zelensky for being “disrespectful” to the United States.
Many Europeans are concerned that the Trump administration’s overtures to Putin will leave the continent unable to rely on US support for security.
On Thursday, EU leaders met in Brussels to approve plans to increase defence spending and renew the bloc’s support for Ukraine.
Next week, Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian negotiators in Saudi Arabia to discuss the possibility of a ceasefire with Russia.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, and it now controls roughly 20% of Ukrainian territory.
