Donetsk (BN24) – Russia unleashed a deadly wave of missile and drone strikes across dozens of Ukrainian cities and towns late Sunday and into Monday, killing at least nine people and injuring dozens just hours before President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders gathered at the White House for high-level talks with President Donald Trump.
According to Ukrainian officials, Moscow’s attacks hit Kharkiv, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Odesa, targeting apartment complexes, energy infrastructure and civilian areas in a show of force as diplomatic efforts over the war intensify.
In Kharkiv, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov reported five deaths, including two children, and at least 17 injuries after missiles tore through a residential district, sparking massive fires. Ukraine’s emergency services released footage showing an apartment building engulfed in flames as rescue teams pulled survivors from the rubble.
In the Donetsk region, three more people were killed in overnight strikes, authorities said. Though Russia occupies much of the territory, Ukrainian forces continue to defend key positions along the front line. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly demanded that Ukraine surrender control of Donetsk as part of any settlement.
Meanwhile, in Zaporizhzhia, local officials confirmed the death of a child and multiple injuries after a separate Russian strike. In Odesa, an overnight bombardment ignited an energy facility, highlighting Moscow’s continued strategy of targeting Ukraine’s power grid and civilian infrastructure.
The escalation came just two days after Putin held a rare face-to-face meeting with Trump in Alaska, marking the Russian leader’s first summit with a U.S. president since the 2022 invasion began. At the talks, Putin described the ongoing war as a “tragedy” and insisted Russia still viewed Ukrainians as “brothers and sisters,” despite the full-scale assault that has killed tens of thousands.
Zelenskyy arrived in Washington on Monday accompanied by top European allies, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The summit is expected to focus on military support for Kyiv, the potential terms of a cease-fire and Ukraine’s long-term path to security.
In a post late Sunday on Truth Social, Trump urged Zelenskyy to agree to a negotiated peace deal with Russia, suggesting concessions such as ceding Crimea and halting NATO ambitions. “President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,” Trump wrote.
The timing of Russia’s strikes, coupled with renewed international diplomacy, underscores the high stakes of the war as Ukraine braces for the next stage of negotiations that could determine its territorial future and sovereignty.
Politico.eu
