Russia launched a seat of deadly attacks on Kiev in the early hours of Thursday, hours after US President Donald Trump accused the Ukrainian counterpart of harming peace talks in a new speech against Volodymyr Zelensky.
Russia launched 70 missiles and 145 drones against Ukraine, aiming mainly to the capital, said the Ukraine Air Force.
At least nine people died and more than 70 were injured in the attacks, which, according to emergency services, hit 13 locations in Kiev, including residential buildings and civil infrastructure.
Following the attacks, Zelensky announced that he was going to interrupt his visit to South Africa, where he landed on Wednesday to return to Ukraine.
“It is extremely important that everyone in the world see and understand what is really happening,” he said, adding that Ukraine would immediately contact its international partners regarding its requests for reinforcing air defenses.
“The attacks must be interrupted immediately and unconditionally,” said Zelensky.
CNN producers in Kiev heard air strike sirens sounding throughout the city for about six hours in the early hours of Thursday. Images provided by emergency services have shown buildings in somewhat flames of the locations affected by the attacks.
Engineers, rescue workers and sniffer dogs are looking for people who believe they are trapped under the rubble of a house destroyed by the attacks in Sviatoshyn district, Ukraine Minister Ihor Klymenko said.
“There is information about two children who have not yet been found on site,” he says, adding that the situation was “tragic.”
The mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko, prior to the population to take shelter. The Military Administration of the city of Kiev has, however, issued a message of “Everything Clean.”
According to Ukrainian emergency services, at least 42 people were taken to the hospital, including six children.
A woman injured next to her house destroyed by a Russian air strike. (EPA/SERGEY SHESSTAK)
Ihor Klymenko stated that eight regions of the country were the target of what he called “a massive combined Russian attack” that also hit Zhytomyr, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Poltava, Khmelnytsky, Sumy and Zaporizehzia.
According to the Air Force, five ballistic missiles were launched against the Ukrainian defenses.
Russian attacks occurred after Trump and Zelensky were involved in a new public controversy about the future of Crimea, the Ukrainian Peninsula illegally attached by Russia in 2014.
As part of his mission to seal a peace agreement to end the three -year war, the United States administration proposed to recognize the Russian control of Crimea, employees told employees familiar with the details.
Such a measure would revert a decade of US policy and could disturb the widely widespread consensus after World War II that international borders should not be changed by force.
Zelensky repeatedly said that Ukraine would not accept it, saying that it would go against the country’s constitution.
On Wednesday, Trump said Zelensky’s position was “very harmful to peace negotiations with Russia.”
“These are inflamed statements like Zelensky’s that make it so difficult to resolve this war. He has nothing to brag!” Trump posted on his Truth social platform.
Trump’s comments came up hours after Vice President JD Vance threatened to abandon negotiations, telling journalists during a visit to India that a “very explicit proposal” had been presented to Russia and Ukraine and that it was time for them to say yes or the US to move away. “
Zelensky upon arrival in South Africa this Wednesday. (Courtesy: Presidency of Ukraine)
Previously, ministerial conversations between Ukraine, the US, Britain, France and Germany, with the aim of promoting work for a ceasefire, were disqualified to be done among less graduated employees after the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was withdrawn.
“Emotions are Red today,” Zelensky said on social network X this Wednesday, at a time when developments of the day have launched a new uncertainty about diplomatic efforts to end war.
The Trump administration envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, is expected to visit Moscow on Friday to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
*Vicheria Victoria, Vlasova Site, Rob Picheta and CNN of CNN contributing to to reportage.
