KYIV: At least 25 people have been killed in recent Russian attacks on Ukraine as tensions escalate following the breakdown of diplomatic talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to Ukrainian officials, the Donetsk region has been among the hardest hit, with 11 people killed and 40 reported missing. Among the dead are six children. The relentless strikes have targeted residential areas and infrastructure, further deepening the humanitarian crisis.
On Friday, eight residential buildings and two department stores in Donetsk came under attack, resulting in 11 fatalities. Additional strikes across the region on Friday and Saturday left nine people dead and 13 missing.
The wave of attacks extended beyond Donetsk. In Kharkiv, three people were killed and seven others injured in a separate assault on Saturday. A day earlier, Russian forces targeted an energy center in Odesa, adding to concerns about Ukraine’s critical infrastructure being systematically weakened.
The escalation follows a failed high-level meeting between Zelensky and Trump in the Oval Office last week.
Reports indicate that the discussions turned tense, leading the U.S. to suspend military aid and intelligence-sharing with Ukraine. Since then, Russia has intensified its offensive, with signs pointing to further attacks in the coming days.
Speaking on Friday, President Trump commented that negotiations with Ukraine had proven to be more difficult than those with Russia, raising questions about Washington’s future stance on the war.
As Ukraine braces for further strikes, the international community watches closely, with fears that the situation could worsen without renewed diplomatic efforts or military support.
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