LONDON — Russia launched a recent wave of drone strikes into Ukraine in a single day into Sunday morning because the nation reeled from a bloody weekend of aerial assaults that Kyiv mentioned killed at the least 24 individuals.
Ukraine’s air drive mentioned Russia launched 119 Shahed assault drones into the nation in a single day, 73 of which have been shot down and 37 misplaced in flight with out inflicting any harm.
Impacts have been reported within the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Poltava, Cherkasy, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia areas, the air drive mentioned in a Telegram submit.
Ukraine continued its personal long-range assaults into Russia on Saturday night time. Russia’s Protection Ministry mentioned it downed 88 Ukrainian drones over eight Russian areas, whereas Russia’s federal air transport company launched momentary working restrictions at airports in Astrakhan, Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod.
Residents stand on the web site of house buildings hit by a Russian missile strike within the city of Dobropillia, Donetsk area, Ukraine, on March 8, 2025.
Andrii Dubchak/Reuters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned in a Sunday morning submit to social media that every Russian assault represents a failure within the Western-led sanctions marketing campaign in opposition to Moscow. “Each Shahed, each aerial bomb utilized by Russia contains elements equipped in circumvention of sanctions,” he mentioned. “These weapons comprise greater than 82,000 international elements.”
“Day by day, we work with our companions to make sure that choices are made exactly for the assist that saves lives: the availability of air protection, investments in our protection manufacturing, strengthening sanctions in opposition to Russia,” Zelenskyy wrote. “And we proceed our work to convey a good peace nearer and supply dependable safety ensures.”
Russia has intensified its lengthy vary strikes on Ukraine over the previous week, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s resolution to pause all army help to and intelligence sharing with Ukraine in a bid to drive Kyiv into negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin to finish Moscow’s three-year-old invasion.
Friday night time noticed Russia launch 145 drones and three missiles into Ukraine, the air drive mentioned. It reported downing 79 drones with 54 others misplaced in flight.
On Saturday, Ukraine mentioned 24 individuals have been killed in drone strikes in Donetsk, Kharkiv and Odesa. Among the many areas hit have been residential buildings and a shopping mall within the Donetsk metropolis of Dobropillya, which was subjected to ballistic missile and drone assaults.
Ukraine’s European allies issued fierce condemnations of Russia’s weekend assaults.
“That is what occurs when somebody appeases barbarians,” Polish President Donald Tusk wrote on X, including, “Extra bombs, extra aggression, extra victims. One other tragic night time in Ukraine.”
The European Union’s chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, wrote on X, “Russian missiles hold relentlessly falling on Ukraine, bringing extra loss of life and extra destruction.”
“As soon as once more, Putin exhibits he has little interest in peace,” she added. “We should step up our army assist — in any other case, much more Ukrainian civilians can pay the best value.”
Zelenskyy, in the meantime, expressed his condolences to the victims of Saturday’s strikes in a submit to social media. “In fact, we’re doing our utmost to guard lives,” he wrote.
“I’m grateful to all of the leaders, all these diplomats of our companion international locations, all public figures who assist Ukraine, who’ve condemned these Russian strikes and who name all issues by their correct names,” he added.
“It’s important that we proceed coordinating all our efforts with our companions to make sure that our protection works successfully and that we do all the things to convey peace nearer,” Zelenskyy mentioned.
Ukraine is urgent for a resumption in U.S. army help and intelligence sharing, each of which have been imposed after a disastrous assembly between Trump and Zelenskyy on the White Home.
Explosions are seen within the sky over the town throughout a Russian drone strike on Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 8, 2025.
Gleb Garanich/Reuters
Trump has repeatedly — and falsely — framed his Ukrainian counterpart as an illegitimate chief and Ukraine because the instigator of Russia’s conflict. Ukrainian and European leaders have expressed concern at what they see as a U.S. alignment with Russian narratives concerning the conflict since Trump’s return to the White Home.
Ukrainian and American officers will meet in Saudi Arabia subsequent week for discussions on ending the conflict. Nationwide safety advisor Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the U.S. delegation.
On Friday, Trump informed reporters “we’re doing very properly with Russia,” which he mentioned was “bombing the hell out of Ukraine.”
Requested whether or not he felt Putin was exploiting the U.S. freeze on help in his intensified assaults on Ukraine, Trump added, “I really suppose he is doing what anyone else would do … I feel he desires to get it stopped and settled.”
The president additionally once more framed Ukraine as the primary obstacle to peace. “I am discovering it harder, frankly, to cope with Ukraine. And so they do not have the playing cards,” Trump mentioned. “When it comes to getting a ultimate settlement, it might be simpler coping with Russia.”
ABC Information’ Victoria Beaule contributed to this report.
