Russian drones targeted a military hospital, a shopping center and apartment blocks in Ukraine’s second-largest city, killing two people and wounding dozens. Elsewhere, President Trump offered his most critical comments at Russian President Vladimir Putin for comments he made about the leader of Ukraine.
Six strikes in a “deliberate, targeted shelling” hit the northeastern border city of Kharkiv, wounding service members who were undergoing treatment, Ukraine’s General Staff said. Regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said the two casualties were a 67-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman.
Sofiia Bobok/Anadolu via Getty Images
Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia fired 111 exploding drones and decoys in the latest wave of attacks overnight into Sunday. It said 65 of them were intercepted and another 35 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed.
According to Ukrainian government and military analysts, Russian forces are preparing to launch a fresh military offensive in the coming weeks to maximize pressure on Kyiv and strengthen the Kremlin’s negotiating position in ceasefire talks.
The Trump administration has been pushing for a speedy end to the more than three-year war, holding talks with both Russia and Ukraine.
Moscow has rejected a joint U.S.-Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional and full ceasefire, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of “dragging out the war” to “buy time and then try to grab more land.”
On Sunday, Mr. Trump — in a phone interview with NBC News — said he was “angry, pissed off” when Putin “started getting into Zelenskyy’s credibility.” He was referencing comments Putin made on Friday about temporarily putting Ukraine under external governance — without the Ukrainian leader.
Putin repeated his claim that Zelenskyy, whose term expired last year, lacks the legitimacy to sign a peace deal. Under Ukraine’s constitution, it is illegal for the country to hold national elections while it’s under martial law.
“If a deal isn’t made, and if I think it was Russia’s fault, I’m going to put secondary sanctions on Russia,” Mr. Trump told NBC News’ Kristen Welker, adding that there would be “a 25 to 50-point tariff on all oil.”
“Anybody buying oil from Russia will not be able to sell their product, any product, not just oil, into the United States,” he said.
Nonetheless, Mr. Trump reiterated that he and Putin have a “very good relationship.”
