Gambiaj.com – WASHINGTON, DC.) – As reported by CNN, a recent wave of Russian attacks on Kyiv, the deadliest in nine months, has drawn a sharp reaction from U.S President, Donald Trump. Taking to his Truth Social platform on Wednesday, he stated his unhappiness with the strikes, urging President Vladimir Putin to “STOP!” amidst ongoing efforts to broker a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine.

Moscow launched a barrage of 70 missiles and 145 drones targeting Ukraine, with a significant focus on Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested the assault was deliberately timed to exert pressure on the United States.

“I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Let’s get the Peace Deal DONE!” the U.S president wrote.

Tragically, the attacks resulted in at least eight fatalities in Kyiv, with fears that more individuals remain trapped beneath the rubble. Ukrainian emergency services reported that 13 locations within the capital were hit, including residential buildings and crucial civilian infrastructure. Initial reports had indicated nine deaths and over 60 injuries. This marks the most devastating attack on Kyiv since July 2024, when 33 people perished in a similar aerial assault.

President Zelenskyy, speaking during a visit to South Africa, asserted that the bombardment was primarily aimed at influencing the US. He pushed back against the aforementioned US figure’s efforts to encourage Ukraine to make concessions, emphasizing Ukraine’s willingness to negotiate only after a complete ceasefire with what he termed “terrorists.”

In response, Russia’s defense ministry claimed its forces conducted a “massive strike with high-precision long-range air, land, and sea-based weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles on enterprises of the aviation, missile and space, mechanical engineering, and armored industries of Ukraine and production of rocket fuel and gunpowder.” Moscow insisted that “the strike objectives were achieved. All targets were hit.”

Currently, search and rescue operations are underway to locate individuals trapped under the debris, according to Ukrainian authorities.

In the wake of the Kyiv attacks, President Zelenskyy announced he would cut short his visit to South Africa, where he had arrived just hours earlier, to return to Ukraine. “It is extremely important that everyone around the world sees and understands what is really happening,” he stated, adding that Ukraine would immediately reach out to its international partners to bolster its air defenses.

Air raid sirens blared across Kyiv for six continuous hours in the early hours of Thursday, as the intense Russian assault instilled fear throughout the city. A CNN producer on the ground reported sheltering with their child as missiles struck the capital, with the audible presence of drones nearby. While air raid sirens have become a frequent occurrence in Kyiv, Thursday’s strikes served as a stark reminder of the intense anxiety experienced during the initial stages of the conflict. Images released by emergency services depicted buildings ablaze at various impact sites.

Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported that engineers, rescue personnel, and search dogs were actively looking for individuals believed to be trapped beneath the ruins of a home destroyed in the Sviatoshyn district. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko had earlier urged residents to seek shelter, and the Kyiv city military administration has since issued an all-clear message.

“Rescuers are doing everything they can to clear the rubble as quickly as possible,” Mayor Klitschko stated on Telegram. “We are currently clearing the rubble manually, we are not using any equipment because there may still be people under the rubble.”

According to Ukrainian emergency services, at least 42 people, including six children, were hospitalized as a result of the attacks. Minister Klymenko indicated that eight regions across the country were targeted in what he described as “a massive combined Russian attack,” which also impacted Zhytomyr, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Poltava, Khmelnytsky, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that five ballistic missiles managed to penetrate Ukraine’s defense systems.

These latest Russian attacks follow a renewed public disagreement between the aforementioned US figure and President Zelenskyy, particularly concerning the future of Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. CNN has learned that as part of efforts to secure a peace agreement, the US administration has proposed recognizing Russian control over Crimea, a move that would signify a significant shift in US policy.

President Zelenskyy has consistently stated that Ukraine would not accept such a proposition, deeming it a violation of the country’s constitution. On Wednesday, the former US president described Zelenskyy’s stance as “very harmful to the peace negotiations with Russia,” adding, “It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that make it so difficult to settle this war. He has nothing to boast about!”

His remarks came shortly after Vice President JD Vance suggested a potential abandonment of negotiations, stating that a “very explicit proposal” had been presented to both Russia and Ukraine, and it was “time for them to either say ‘yes’ or for the US to walk away.”

Earlier in the week, ministerial-level talks aimed at advancing ceasefire efforts, involving Ukraine, the US, Britain, France, and Germany, were downgraded to discussions among lower-ranking officials after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio withdrew.

“Emotions have run high today,” President Zelenskyy commented on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, as the day’s developments cast new doubts on diplomatic efforts to end the war. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who was scheduled to host the ministerial meeting, stated, “While Ukrainian ministers were in London working towards peace, Putin’s Russia was attacking the Ukrainian people. These are not the actions of a man of peace.”

Adding another layer to the diplomatic landscape, Steve Witkoff, a Middle East envoy from the previous US administration, is reportedly scheduled to visit Moscow on Friday for discussions with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Source: CNN