Hours after Trump publicly blames Zelenskyy, Russia launches multiple strikes on Kyiv
Kyiv: Russia launched a deadly missile and drone attack on Kyiv early Thursday, killing at least two people and injuring 54, just hours after US President Donald Trump publicly criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for refusing to accept Russian occupation of Crimea as part of a proposed peace deal.
The attack, described by Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko as a missile strike involving drones, saw 38 injured, including six children, hospitalised. Meanwhile, Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine was struck by seven missiles in a separate assault, followed by what officials called a “massive drone attack.”
The strikes coincided with a sharp escalation in US diplomatic pressure on Ukraine to accept a deal that would effectively cede Crimea and parts of occupied eastern regions to Russia. Trump, speaking to reporters and on Truth Social, claimed Zelenskyy was prolonging the war and being “harder” to negotiate with than Moscow. “We have to get a deal with Zelenskyy,” he said, insisting Crimea was “lost years ago” and “not even a point of discussion.”
Vice President JD Vance, during a visit to India, outlined the proposed deal: freezing the conflict along current territorial lines, implying major Ukrainian concessions. Ukraine’s government has rejected this, citing constitutional provisions and prior US commitments. Zelenskyy responded by citing a 2018 US declaration rejecting Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
Top Ukrainian officials, including chief of staff Andriy Yermak, denounced the missile attacks and warned against rewarding Russian aggression. Yermak said, “Putin shows only a desire to kill. The fire must stop.”
As Russia intensified its air assaults—including an earlier strike on Marganets that killed nine—Zelenskyy renewed calls for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire.
Meanwhile, the proposed deal and Trump’s pressure tactics have triggered concern in Europe. France and the UK reiterated that any resolution must respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office affirmed, “It has to be up to Ukraine to decide its future.”
The White House indicated Trump’s patience with Ukraine was “wearing thin,” even as he continues to promise a swift resolution to the war if re-elected. His envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to visit Moscow shortly ahead of a possible Trump-Putin meeting in May. The attacks mark another turning point in the conflict, highlighting the growing divide between Kyiv’s resistance and Washington’s shifting diplomatic posture.