Vladimir Putin fired 550 drones and missiles at Ukraine in a new record attack hours after Donald Trump lamented their “disappointing” phone call.
Kyiv was the main focus of Russia’s overnight bombardment, which left 14 Ukrainians in hospital, according to Vitali Klitschko, the city’s mayor.
“Absolutely horrible and sleepless night in Kyiv. One of the worst so far. Hundreds of Russian drones and ballistic missiles rained down on the Ukrainian capital. Right after Putin spoke with President Trump,” Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s foreign minister, said.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said Russia would not “change its dumb, destructive behaviour” without increasing pressure, particularly from the US.
The attack, which broke a record set only last weekend, came hours after Mr Trump spoke with Putin, a phone call the US president described as “disappointing”.
“I’m very disappointed with the conversation I had today with President Putin, because I don’t think he’s there,” he told reporters. “I’m just saying I don’t think he’s looking to stop, and that’s too bad.”
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov claimed Putin and Mr Trump were “on the same page”. The US president disagreed: “I didn’t make any progress with him at all.”
President Donald Trump has had it with Vladimir Putin. After a nearly one-hour phone call with his Russian counterpart, Trump expressed disappointment with Putin’s obstinate continuation of the Ukraine War and admitted: “I didn’t make any progress with him at all.”
The Kremlin rushed to calm the waters and claimed that Russia was still interested in peace negotiations with Ukraine. Nonetheless, Putin’s aide Yury Ushakov still emphasised the contrast between Trump’s push for a swift ceasefire in Ukraine and the Kremlin’s desire to eliminate the root causes of the Ukraine War.
Russia’s latest actions suggest that Trump’s frustrations are warranted. During the early hours of Friday morning, Russian forces pummelled Ukraine with 550 Shahed drones and ballistic missiles. This attack was Russia’s largest aerial assault of the war, and broke the record set earlier this week of 537 drones and missiles.
Even though Russia has not taken much-feared apocalyptic steps like using tactical nuclear weapons or triggering a meltdown in the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, it is steadily escalating its war against Ukrainian civilians.
The Kremlin has vowed to continue its war against Ukraine, saying it is “not possible” to achieve its aims through “diplomatic means”.
“We are interested in achieving our goals in the course of the special military operation and it is preferable to do it by political and diplomatic means,” a Kremlin spokesman told reporters after being asked about US efforts to push for peace.
“But until that is not possible, we are continuing the special operation.”
The number of children killed or injured in Ukraine has surged by 200 per cent in the past three months, the latest UN-verified data has found, writes Lilia Sebouai.
At least 222 children were killed or injured between March and May, compared to 73 from December to February, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission to Ukraine.
“The situation for children is at a critical juncture, “ said Regina De Dominicis, Unicef’s regional director for Europe and Central Asia, adding that “there is no respite from the war for children across Ukraine.”
The UN said use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas has been “particularly deadly and destructive”.
It comes as Russia has stepped up its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities. Kyiv was on Friday struck by a wave of overnight drones and missile attacks in the largest aerial assault since Russia invaded Ukraine more than three years ago.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged another batch of prisoners of war on Friday.
The warring sides have exchanged prisoners several times – the latest on June 26 – as part of an agreement struck in Istanbul last month.
Our people are home. Most of them had been held in Russian captivity since 2022.
Today, our defenders who fought for Ukraine in various regions – the Donetsk region and Mariupol, the Luhansk, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions – are coming back. These are warriors of the Armed Forces,… pic.twitter.com/HR6PCPyXGO
Russia is frequently firing a record number of missiles and drones at Ukraine, targeting major cities such as Kyiv and Dnipro.
Moscow fired 550 drones and missiles overnight, breaking a record set only last weekend when 537 aerial weapons were fired across the country.
Vladimir Putin told Donald Trump he expected Russia to agree to a date for a third round of peace talks with Ukraine, the Kremlin has said.
The two sides met for direct talks in May and June, though they came no close to any substantial agreement beyond exchanging prisoners and repatriating the dead.
The Kremlin said it followed “all statements” by Mr Trump, who expressed his “disappointment” with Putin after their phone call on Thursday.
Republicans are urging Donald Trump to ramp up pressure on Vladimir Putin to come to the negotiating table and end the war in Ukraine.
Don Bacon, the Congressman for Nebraska’s 2nd District, said Putin had mocked the US president and America by launching another record attack on Ukraine overnight – hours after the two leaders spoke on the phone.
“Mr President, your policy towards Russia is not working. While we negotiate, Putin bombs Ukrainian cities,” Mr Bacon said.
“It is time to change strategy. We and our allies must arm Ukraine to the teeth & we need the toughest sanctions. Putin is mocking you and America.”
Joe Wilson, a Congressman in South Carolina, said Putin had resorted to “scorched earth tactics” across Ukraine just as “Americans begin to enjoy the sounds of fireworks in celebration of our Nation’s Independence”.
Mr President, your policy towards Russia is not working. While we negotiate, Putin bombs Ukrainian cities. Here is Kyiv today. It is time to change strategy. We and our allies must arm Ukraine to the teeth & we need the toughest sanctions. Putin is mocking you and America. pic.twitter.com/Jc7ShlrWIN
Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump will speak later this afternoon, a Ukrainian official has confirmed to AFP.
The call follows a conversation between the US president and Vladimir Putin on Thursday.
Russia has increased its use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, Germany’s BND foreign intelligence agency said on Friday, citing evidence it obtained alongside its Dutch counterparts.
Russia uses not only tear gas, but also “the more dangerous chemical chloropicrin, which can be lethal in high concentrations in enclosed spaces” in Ukraine, the BND said in a statement.
“This represents a more serious violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which prohibits the use of this lung warfare agent under all circumstances,” it said.
The defence minister and chief of military intelligence in the Netherlands told Reuters.
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