By Gloria Nosa
Kyiv, Ukraine – At least five people were killed and 11 others injured as Russia unleashed fresh strikes on Ukrainian cities, just days after U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Alaska and announced an “understanding” on ending the war.
Ukraine’s Air Force said Moscow launched a ballistic missile and a barrage of more than 60 Iranian-made Shahed drones and decoy drones overnight into Sunday. Ukrainian air defense units reported intercepting or suppressing over 40 drones, most of which targeted civilian areas in the country’s north and east.
Deadly Strikes in Donbas
Regional officials confirmed that five civilians were killed in Donetsk as Russia intensified its offensive in the eastern Donbas region.
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Two people were killed in Russian shelling of Raihorodok.
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Two others died in Sviatohorivka.
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Another civilian was killed in Kostiantynivka.
At least four more people were injured across the region, according to Donetsk Governor Vadym Filashkin.
The Donbas has remained the flashpoint of Russian aggression since Moscow’s first incursion in 2014 and the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Kherson and Kharkiv Also Targeted
In the south, more than 30 settlements in Kherson came under drone and artillery fire. Regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said two people were wounded, while several homes and a vehicle were damaged.
Further north, Kharkiv suffered heavy bombardment, with five civilians injured after villages were struck by a mix of missiles, drones, and guided bombs. Governor Oleh Syniehubov condemned the strikes, stressing that “all of Moscow’s targets were civilian in nature.”
International Reactions and Diplomacy
The renewed wave of attacks comes amid mounting international calls for Russia to halt its invasion, now in its fourth year.
On Thursday, Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Downing Street, reaffirming the U.K.’s support. Zelenskyy is also set to join a virtual conference of the Coalition of the Willing, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Starmer.
The talks come ahead of Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington on Monday, where he will meet President Trump at the White House. It will be Zelenskyy’s first Oval Office visit since February, when a tense encounter with Trump and Vice President JD Vance drew controversy after both men openly berated the Ukrainian leader in front of reporters.
Trump-Putin “Understanding”
Friday’s Alaska Summit between Trump and Putin, held at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, ended without a ceasefire deal. However, both leaders claimed to have reached an “understanding” about what Moscow requires to end its military assault.
Trump has since proposed a trilateral summit involving himself, Putin, and Zelenskyy in an effort to “finally end this war.”
For Ukrainians, however, the human toll of Russia’s ongoing strikes continues to overshadow diplomatic gestures. The latest deaths and destruction underscore the uncertainty that remains on the ground—even as world leaders talk of peace.
