Russia launched one of the most severe attacks on Ukraine’s major cities Thursday night, killing at least nine people, just hours after President Donald Trump claimed he had secured deals with both sides to end the war.
Drones and missiles targeted Kyiv, causing what Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described as “a particularly horrible and loud night.”
In addition to the fatalities, 70 people were injured, and rescuers spent Thursday morning searching through the rubble for survivors. The attack caused extensive damage to residential buildings, fires in administrative areas, and destruction of vehicles and dry grass, according to the State Emergency Service. Bombs also hit Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, where Mayor Ihor Terekhov warned residents to “be careful.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump had suggested in the Oval Office that he was close to securing a deal with both Ukraine and Russia, though he noted that an agreement with Ukraine was still pending. He added that negotiating with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had proven more difficult than he expected. This comment followed Trump’s criticism of Zelenskyy on Truth Social, where he accused the Ukrainian leader of making “inflammatory statements” and urged him to “GET IT DONE” regarding peace talks.
For Ukrainians and their supporters, the recent attacks underscored Russia’s intransigence. President Vladimir Putin continues to demand conditions that resemble a Ukrainian surrender, while pressing ahead with his invasion. Zelenskyy, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, reiterated that he would never accept Russian control over Crimea, a key demand from Moscow. “Yesterday’s Russian maximalist demands, combined with these brutal strikes, show that Russia, not Ukraine, is the obstacle to peace,” Sybiha stated. “Moscow, not Kyiv, is where pressure should be applied.”
