Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy voiced disappointment on Sunday over the absence of a reaction from the United States after Russia turned down a proposal for “a full, unconditional ceasefire.” This comes as Russia launched a deadly aerial offensive that took the lives of two people.
Describing the overnight onslaught as intense, Zelenskyy warned that Russia had carried out a “massive” coordinated assault involving both drones and missiles. He cautioned that the frequency and scale of these airstrikes appear to be rising, signaling that Moscow is increasing its aggression. “The number of Russian air attacks is increasing,” Zelenskyy said, adding that it demonstrates “the pressure on Russia is still insufficient.”
Despite Ukraine agreeing to the U.S.-backed unconditional ceasefire plan in the conflict that has raged for over three years, Russian President Vladimir Putin has refused to participate. “We are waiting for the United States to respond – so far there has been no response,” said Zelenskyy, clearly frustrated by the silence from Washington.
Yulia Svyrydenko, Ukraine’s first deputy prime minister, confirmed the severity of the attack. “Launched a massive nationwide attack on Ukraine using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones,” she said, emphasizing the wide scope of the offensive.
In the capital, Kyiv, residents were awakened by blasts that pierced the night. Smoke columns rose over the city by morning. Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, confirmed that one person was killed and three others were injured in the strikes. Mayor Vitali Klitschko later added, “The body of a man killed in an enemy attack was discovered in Darnytsia district.”
One missile strike caused significant damage to a facility housing the state’s foreign-language broadcasting services. Freedom, a Russian-language channel, reported that its newsroom was destroyed. Fires erupted in several non-residential buildings throughout the capital, according to emergency responders. In a nearby area, a man sustained burns after a drone attack triggered a house fire, military officials said.
The Ukrainian air force provided details about the scale of the assault, stating that Russia had launched 23 cruise and ballistic missiles along with 109 drones during the night. They managed to intercept 13 missiles and 40 drones, while another 54 posed no threat or caused no damage.
The southern region of Kherson experienced tragedy as well—a drone strike there killed a 59-year-old man. In the northeastern Kharkiv region, which borders Russia, two individuals were injured during an aerial bombing, local authorities confirmed. Meanwhile, in the west, Khmelnytsky officials said a missile was intercepted, but its falling debris damaged a house and injured a woman.
According to Zelenskyy, the past week has seen a dramatic uptick in Russian attacks: over 1,460 guided aerial bombs, nearly 670 kamikaze drones, and more than 30 missiles of various classes have been used against Ukrainian targets.
The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed a symbolic breakthrough, saying its troops had “liberated” Basivka, a village near the Kursk region border. However, Ukraine dismissed this as part of Moscow’s propaganda tactics. “The enemy continues its disinformation campaign regarding the seizure of settlements in Sumy region or the breakthrough of the border,” Andriy Demchenko, spokesperson for Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service, told AFP.
Echoing Zelenskyy’s concerns, French President Emmanuel Macron called for urgent action. “A ceasefire is needed as soon as possible. And strong action if Russia continues to try to buy time and refuse peace,” Macron posted on X. He added that Russia continues “to murder children and civilians.”
The air raids over the weekend followed Friday’s horrifying missile attack in Kryvyi Rig, Zelenskyy’s hometown, which claimed 18 lives, including nine children.
Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, condemned Russia’s tactics, stating the country was showing a “reckless disregard” for civilian lives by deploying “an explosive weapon with wide area effects.”
Moscow, for its part, asserted it had hit key military targets, including an artillery hub and drone production facilities. Russia also accused Ukraine of targeting its energy infrastructure, specifically mentioning a gas distribution center in the Voronezh region.
While U.S. President Donald Trump is encouraging both nations to settle on a partial ceasefire, those diplomatic efforts have yet to yield an agreement that satisfies both governments.
Meanwhile, efforts to restore U.S.-Russia diplomatic engagement are ongoing. Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who recently traveled to Washington—the most senior Russian official to do so since the start of the war—told Russian state TV that further bilateral talks could take place “next week,” according to state-run news outlets.
{Matzav.com}