U.S. President Donald Trump urged Russia’s Vladimir Putin to halt his military actions in Ukraine following a series of Russian airstrikes on Kyiv early Thursday, which resulted in the deaths of at least 12 individuals and injuries to many others, marking the most lethal assault on the city in almost a year.
“I disapprove of the Russian bombings on Kyiv. This is unnecessary and comes at a very inappropriate time,” Trump stated on Truth Social. “Vladimir, STOP! 5,000 soldiers are dying each week. Let’s finalize this peace agreement!”
Explosions echoed over Kyiv around 1:00 a.m. on Thursday, as air raid sirens blared throughout the city, prompting residents to seek shelter. Throughout the night, emergency responders searched through the debris of collapsed buildings and battled fires in affected apartment complexes.
Initial reports from emergency services indicated that eight people had died and around 60 were injured. However, the numbers were later revised to reflect 12 fatalities and 90 injuries by the end of the day.
“As of 5:30 p.m., the death toll in Kyiv’s Sviatoshynskyi district has increased to 12 following the recovery of two more bodies by rescue teams from underneath the wreckage,” stated Ukraine’s State Emergency Service on Telegram. “Rescue efforts are still underway.”
These attacks further complicate the already challenging U.S. attempts to encourage a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. This occurred just hours after Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for rejecting Moscow’s occupation of Crimea as a precondition for peace.
Zelensky canceled part of his visit to South Africa in response to the missile and drone attacks on Kyiv, announcing his immediate return to Ukraine after meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“It has been 44 days since Ukraine agreed to an unconditional ceasefire… Yet, for these 44 days, Russia has continued to murder our people,” the Ukrainian leader posted on X. “The bombings must cease immediately and unconditionally.”
Later, Zelensky informed reporters in South Africa that the incident in Kyiv was part of Russia’s efforts to exert pressure on Washington, suggesting that the U.S. is not applying enough pressure on the Kremlin to engage in genuine peace talks.
Putin has not yet responded to Zelensky’s request to cease airstrikes on civilian areas. Last month, the Kremlin also dismissed calls from the U.S. and Ukraine for a complete and unconditional ceasefire.
“Putin shows only a desire to kill,” stated Andriy Yermak, a senior advisor to Zelensky, as Russia initiated its overnight strikes. “The bombardment of civilians must come to an end.”
Later on Thursday, Russia’s Defense Ministry asserted that the nighttime strikes targeted “military installations” with “precision weaponry,” including drones.
“The targets included Ukrainian facilities related to aviation, missile and space operations, machine-building, and armored vehicle production, alongside sites that produce rocket fuel and gunpowder,” the Defense Ministry declared in a statement. “All objectives were successfully hit, and the strike achieved its intended outcomes.”
Kyiv experienced its last missile strikes in early April, resulting in injuries to at least three individuals. The city has been subjected to intermittent strikes since Russia initiated its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
In recent weeks, Russia’s military has conducted some of its most lethal and audacious air assaults on Ukraine, demonstrating defiance to Trump’s calls for a swift conclusion to the conflict.
Reporting by AFP contributed to this article.
