President Donald Trump on Thursday provided uncommon criticism of Vladimir Putin, urging the Russian chief to “STOP!” after a lethal barrage of assaults on Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital.
“I’m not proud of the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not crucial, and really dangerous timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 troopers every week are dying,” Trump mentioned in a submit on his Fact Social platform. “Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!”
Russia struck Kyiv with an hourslong barrage of missiles and drones. Not less than 9 individuals have been killed and greater than 70 injured within the deadliest assault on the town since final July. The strikes came about simply as peace efforts are coming to a head.
Trump’s frustration is rising as a U.S.-led effort to get a peace settlement between Ukraine and Russia has not made progress.
Trump lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday and accused him of prolonging the “killing discipline” by refusing to give up the Russia-occupied Crimea Peninsula as a part of a attainable deal.
Zelenskyy has repeated many occasions in the course of the conflict that started when Russia invaded in February 2022 that recognizing occupied territory as Russia’s is a pink line for Ukraine.
Trump is ready to satisfy later Thursday with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre to debate the conflict in Ukraine, U.S. tariffs and different points.
Zelenskyy mentioned after the assault he’s slicing quick his official journey to South Africa and returning dwelling as the town reeled from the bombardment that saved residents on edge for about 11 hours, and Zelenskyy branded it as “one among (Russia’s) most outrageous.”
Broken vehicles lie in a yard with different particles after a Russian ballistic missile assault in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photograph/Efrem Lukatsky).
Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko introduced that Friday could be an official day of mourning day within the capital.
The Ukrainian air power mentioned Russia fired 66 ballistic and cruise missiles, 4 plane-launched air-to-surface missiles, and 145 Shahed and decoy drones at Kyiv and 4 different areas of Ukraine. Rescue staff with flashlights scoured the charred rubble of partly collapsed properties because the blue lights of emergency automobiles lit up the darkish metropolis streets.
Zelenskyy says way forward for negotiations depends upon Moscow
Zelenskyy has repeated many occasions in the course of the greater than three-year conflict that recognizing occupied territory as Russian is a pink line for his nation. He famous Thursday that Ukraine had agreed to a U.S. ceasefire proposal 44 days in the past, as a primary step to a negotiated peace, however that Russia’s assaults had continued.
He mentioned in South Africa that the newest assault meant the way forward for negotiations “depends upon Russia’s intention as a result of it’s in Moscow the place they must decide.”

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Whereas talks have been occurring in current weeks, Russia has hit the town of Sumy, killing greater than 30 civilians gathered to have fun Palm Sunday, battered Odesa with drones and blasted Zaporizhzhia with highly effective glide bombs.
The European Union’s overseas coverage chief, Kaja Kallas, mentioned the assault underscored that the primary impediment to ending the conflict is Russia.

“Whereas claiming to hunt peace, Russia launched a lethal airstrike on Kyiv,” she wrote on social media. “This isn’t a pursuit of peace, it’s a mockery of it.”
Senior U.S. officers have warned that the Trump administration may quickly surrender its efforts to cease the conflict if the 2 sides don’t compromise.
Ukrainian International Minister Andrii Sybiha mentioned the assault confirmed Russian President Vladimir Putin is decided to press his greater military’s benefit on the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) entrance line, the place it at the moment holds the momentum.
Rescue staff carry the physique of a sufferer discovered beneath the rubble after a Russian strike in a residential neighborhood in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photograph/Alex Babenko).
“Putin demonstrates by his actions, not phrases, that he doesn’t respect any peace efforts and solely desires to proceed the conflict,” Sybiha mentioned on X. “Weak point and concessions won’t cease his terror and aggression. Solely energy and strain will.”
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal famous that since Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion of its neighbor, Russian assaults haves killed some 13,000 civilians, together with 618 kids.
Kyiv residents spent the night time in shelters
Not less than 42 individuals have been hospitalized following the assault on residential suburbs of Kyiv, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service mentioned.
At a Kyiv residential constructing that was nearly solely destroyed, emergency staff eliminated rubble with their palms, rescuing a trapped lady who emerged from the wreckage lined in white mud and moaning in ache.
An aged lady sat in opposition to a brick wall, face smeared with blood, her eyes mounted to the bottom in shock as medics tended to her wounds.

Fires have been reported in a number of residential buildings mentioned Tymur Tkachenko, the top of the town navy administration.
The assault, which started round 1 a.m., hit no less than 5 neighborhoods in Kyiv.
Oksana Bilozir, a pupil, suffered a head harm within the assault. With blood seeping from her bandaged head, she mentioned that she heard a loud explosion after the air alarm blared and started to seize her issues to flee to a shelter when one other blast induced her dwelling’s partitions to crumble and the lights to go off.
Native residents react on the website of an residence constructing hit by a Russian ballistic missile assault in Kyiv, Ukraine, early Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photograph/Efrem Lukatsky).
“I actually don’t even know the way it will all finish, it’s very scary,” mentioned Bilozir, referring to the conflict in opposition to Russia’s invasion. “I solely consider that if we will cease them on the battlefield, then that’s it. No diplomacy works right here.”
The assault saved many individuals awake all night time lengthy as a number of loud explosions reverberated across the metropolis and flashes of sunshine punctuated the sky. Households gathered in public air raid shelters, a few of them bringing their pet cat and canine.
Zelenskyy getting back from South Africa
Zelenskyy mentioned in a Telegram submit that he would fly again to Kyiv after assembly with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The Ukrainian chief had hoped to recruit additional South African help in efforts to finish his nation’s conflict with Russia, now in its fourth yr.
The U.N. Workplace for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs mentioned the Kyiv assault was “yet one more appalling violation of worldwide humanitarian legislation.”
“Civilians mustn’t ever be targets. This mindless use of power should cease,” it mentioned in an announcement.
Anastasiia Zhuravlova, 33, a mom of two, was sheltering in a basement after a number of blasts broken her dwelling. Her household was sleeping when the primary explosion shattered their home windows and despatched kitchen home equipment flying within the air. Shards of glass rained down on them as they rushed to take cowl within the hall.
Ukrainian searchers clear the rubble after a Russian ballistic missile assault in Kyiv, Ukraine, early Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photograph/Efrem Lukatsky).
“After that we got here to the shelter as a result of it was scary and harmful at dwelling,” she mentioned.
In Kyiv’s Sviatoshynskyi district, the assault flattened a two-story residential constructing and closely broken close by multi-story buildings. Rescue work continued by the morning.
At a close-by school-turned-relief heart, kids helped mother and father cowl blown-out home windows with plastic whereas others queued for presidency compensation. Many stood in blood-stained garments, nonetheless shaken.
—Related Press journalist Michelle Gumede in Pretoria, South Africa contributed to this report.
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