At least 25 people have died in Ukraine due to the latest wave of Russian strikes, according to Ukrainian officials, as the conflict shows no sign of easing.
One attack in the Donetsk Region resulted in at least 11 deaths and 40 injuries, including six children, local officials reported on Saturday. Homes and infrastructure were damaged in other regions, including Kharkiv and Odesa.
The intensity of Russian attacks has increased in recent days, coinciding with the U.S. pausing military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv. This pause followed a contentious meeting last week between President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.
In response to the strikes, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated, "This is what happens when someone appeases barbarians. More bombs, more aggression, more victims," he added in a social media post.
The deadliest attacks occurred late on Friday in the Donetsk town of Dobropillya, where two ballistic missiles struck eight residential buildings and a shopping center, killing at least 11 people, according to officials. After emergency services arrived, Russia launched another strike that "deliberately targeted the rescuers," Zelensky said in a Telegram post, emphasizing that "Such strikes show that Russia's goals are unchanged."
Further attacks in the region resulted in nine additional deaths and 13 injuries on Friday and Saturday. Early on Saturday, drones struck a company in Bohodukhiv, Kharkiv Region, killing three people and injuring seven, reported regional head Oleh Synyehubov. Another drone attack on Friday targeted civilian and energy infrastructure in Odesa, marking the seventh attack on the region's energy system in three weeks, according to the DTEK energy company.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has continued targeting Russia, which claimed its forces intercepted 31 Ukrainian drones overnight. On Friday, Trump noted that he found it "frankly more difficult to deal with Ukraine" than with Russia in attempts to broker peace between the two nations. He observed that the U.S. is "doing very well with Russia," suggesting it may be easier to deal with Moscow than Kyiv. Just hours earlier, Trump mentioned he was "strongly considering" implementing large-scale sanctions and tariffs on Russia until a ceasefire with Ukraine is reached.
Along with halting military and intelligence assistance, the U.S. has also suspended Ukraine's access to some satellite imagery, according to space technology company Maxar. This decision came exactly a week after the unusual exchange at the White House, during which Trump criticized Zelensky for being "disrespectful" to the U.S.
The Trump administration's overtures to Putin have raised concerns among many in Europe about their reliance on U.S. support for security. On Thursday, EU leaders convened in Brussels to approve plans to increase defense spending and renew the bloc's support for Ukraine.
Next week, Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is scheduled to hold talks with Ukrainian negotiators in Saudi Arabia to discuss the possibility of a ceasefire with Russia. Since launching a full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russia now controls approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory.
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