Russia Launches 149 Drones on Ukraine as Trump Questions Putin’s Commitment to Peace
Russia launched a massive drone assault across Ukraine overnight into Sunday, intensifying the ongoing conflict just as former U.S. President Donald Trump voiced new doubts about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s willingness to end the war. According to Ukrainian officials, the attacks resulted in multiple casualties and significant damage across several regions, underscoring the persistent volatility in the region despite earlier hints of possible peace negotiations.
In Pavlohrad, a city in the Dnipropetrovsk region, one person was tragically killed, and a 14-year-old girl was injured during the third consecutive night of attacks, regional Governor Serhii Lysak confirmed. The intensity of these strikes came only hours after Russia announced it had regained control over remaining parts of the Kursk region, territory that Ukrainian forces had surprisingly captured during an incursion last August. Ukrainian authorities, however, maintained that fierce fighting in Kursk was still ongoing, suggesting that the situation remains fluid and far from settled.
The scale of the latest assault was unprecedented, with the Ukrainian Air Force reporting that Russia fired 149 exploding drones and decoys in a massive wave of attacks. In a significant defense effort, Ukrainian forces managed to intercept 57 drones and jam another 67, demonstrating both the growing sophistication of Ukraine’s air defenses and the relentless nature of Russian offensives. Despite these efforts, several regions reported casualties and damage. In Odesa and Zhitomir, one person was wounded in each city as a result of the drone strikes, local officials confirmed.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Sunday that its air defenses successfully shot down five Ukrainian drones over the Bryansk border region and three additional drones over Crimea, the peninsula Russia illegally annexed in 2014. In a related escalation, five individuals were injured when Ukrainian forces shelled the city of Horlivka, located in the partially occupied Donetsk region, according to Ivan Prikhodko, the Russian-installed mayor of Horlivka.
Amid these developments, former U.S. President Donald Trump expressed renewed skepticism over the prospect of peace. In a social media post shared while returning to the United States after attending Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican, Trump criticized Putin’s actions, stating there was no justification for targeting civilian areas with missile strikes in recent days. Trump’s comments marked a shift from his earlier optimistic statement suggesting that Ukraine and Russia were “very close to a deal.” During his trip to the Vatican, Trump had a brief, significant encounter with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy—their first in-person meeting since a heated exchange at the White House in February. Trump also hinted at the possibility of imposing further sanctions against Russia to pressure the Kremlin into reconsidering its aggressive strategy.
As the conflict shows no signs of abating, and diplomatic efforts seem increasingly strained, Ukraine continues to brace for further escalations while defending its sovereignty against relentless Russian attacks. The international community watches closely as both military operations and political dynamics evolve rapidly, impacting global security and stability.
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