Russia launched another massive overnight attack across Ukraine as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of dragging out peace negotiations and pushed for fresh meetings with the U.S. and European allies.
The latest strikes killed at least two people and injured dozens more on Friday night, according to Ukrainian officials, while the nation’s air force reported that 582 drones and missiles were fired across the nation, the vast majority intercepted.
“Eight people have been hospitalized, among them two children, a 10-year-old boy, and 16-year-old girl,” Ivan Fedorov, governor of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, said Saturday morning.
The assault followed Thursday’s massive attack on the capital Kyiv, which Zelenskyy said killed at least 25 people — including four children — injured dozens more, and cut power to 60,000 residents.
Authorities in the capital declared Friday an official day of mourning.
The latest bombardments are among the most intense to hit Ukraine during the 3 1/2-year war, underscoring both Russia’s escalating tactics and the paralysis of international mediation despite weeks of negotiations and diplomacy.
President Donald Trump hosted his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Alaska for a whirlwind summit two weeks ago aimed at breaking through the impasse in the war. European leaders then traveled to the Oval Office to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.
Trump has since pushed to arrange a summit between Zelenskyy and Putin, but peace talks have stalled amid heavy bombing of Ukraine by Russia, which has dragged its feet over a meeting.
Zelenskyy on Friday accused Moscow of stalling by insisting that lower-level officials complete groundwork before any summit between Putin and Zelenskyy.
That reasoning, he told reporters in Kyiv, is “artificial … because they want to show the United States that they are constructive, but they are not constructive.”
Zelenskyy said he hopes to meet next week with Trump and European leaders to revive stalled peace efforts.
Trump, frustrated by Putin’s delays on direct talks with Zelenskyy, said a week ago he expected to decide on next steps in two weeks if direct talks aren’t scheduled.
At an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday, the U.S. warned Russia to move toward peace and meet with Ukraine or face possible sanctions. The meeting was called following major a Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv.
Ukraine has accepted a U.S. proposal for a ceasefire and a summit between Zelenskyy and Putin, but Moscow has raised objections.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration approved an $825 million arms package on Thursday, including extended-range missiles to bolster Ukraine’s defenses.
The State Department said Thursday it had notified Congress of the sale, and that Ukraine would use funding from NATO allies in addition to U.S. foreign military financing to pay for the equipment.
