In a rare public rebuke of Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday called for an immediate halt to Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, following the deadliest assault on the city in months.
“I am not happy with the Russian strikes on Kyiv,” Trump wrote on social media. “Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! Let’s get the Peace Deal DONE!”
His direct appeal came just hours after Moscow unleashed a large-scale aerial attack on Kyiv, killing at least 10 people and injuring 90 more, according to Ukrainian rescue services. The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia launched at least 70 missiles and 145 drones overnight, targeting the capital and surrounding regions in one of the most intense bombardments of the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who cut short a diplomatic visit to South Africa in response to the attacks, condemned the strike as “one of the most sophisticated, most brazen” since the full-scale invasion began more than three years ago. He renewed his call for Ukraine’s allies to exert greater pressure on Moscow.
“I don't see any strong pressure on Russia or any new sanctions packages against Russia’s aggression,” Zelensky said. “The strikes must be stopped immediately and unconditionally.”
The renewed violence comes amid fragile efforts led by the United States to push for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to visit Moscow this week for his fourth round of talks with Russian officials since Trump returned to the White House in January.
However, diplomatic progress has been hampered by differing views on Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. Earlier this week, Trump criticized Zelensky for refusing to acknowledge Russia’s claim to the territory, calling Crimea “lost years ago.”
Zelensky responded during a press conference in South Africa, saying, “We do everything that our partners have proposed, only what contradicts our legislation and the Constitution we cannot do.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov welcomed Trump’s comments, saying, “This completely corresponds with our understanding, which we have been saying for a long time.”
Kyiv, which is generally well-defended by advanced air defense systems, has seen fewer direct strikes in recent months compared to other regions. Thursday’s assault marked a sharp escalation. Witnesses described terrifying scenes of destruction.
Olena Davydiuk, a 33-year-old lawyer in Kyiv, told AFP, “People were being pulled out of the rubble. They said that there were dead people there too. Windows were shattered, and doors were falling out of their hinges.”
In the Sviatoshinsky district of western Kyiv, an AFP reporter saw a body bag laid on a grassy strip. Nearby, a woman sat quietly, stroking the arm of another victim whose body was covered with a striped blue sheet.
Russia claimed it was targeting Ukraine’s defense industry infrastructure, including facilities producing rocket fuel and gunpowder. But civilian areas bore the brunt of the damage, according to local authorities.
The latest strike follows several deadly attacks in recent weeks. On April 13, a missile hit the northeastern city of Sumy, killing at least 35 people. In early April, a missile struck a residential area in Zelensky’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih, killing 19 people, including nine children.
Despite Trump’s stated push for peace, Russia has continued its aerial campaign unabated, casting doubt over prospects for a ceasefire in the near term.
