Russia pounded Kyiv with missiles and drones overnight, killing at least 12 people in the biggest attack on the Ukrainian capital this year and drawing a rare rebuke from Donald Trump, who told Vladimir Putin: "Vladimir, STOP!"
The attack, which the U.S. president said was "not necessary" and "very bad timing" as he pushes for peace, also wounded 90 people, smashed buildings and set off fires, Ukrainian officials said. Rescuers were still recovering bodies from the rubble over 12 hours later.
The attack comes at a critical moment in Russia's war in Ukraine, which began with Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022. Both Kyiv and Moscow are trying to show Trump they are making progress towards his goal of a rapid peace deal.
"I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!" Trump said on Truth Social, referring to the Russian president.
The White House has threatened to abandon its efforts if no progress is made soon. Trump upbraided Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday over a comment in which the Ukrainian leader repeated that Kyiv would not recognize Russia's occupation of Crimea.
Trump has used a markedly more gentle tone in his statements about Putin than with Zelenskyy, whom he at one point referred to as a "dictator". Trump's special envoy is expected to meet Putin on Friday for more talks, a U.S. official has said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio decided at the last minute to skip talks between U.S., Ukrainian and European officials in London on Wednesday amid American ire over Zelenskyy's comment about Crimea.
The talks went ahead, albeit in a downgraded format, and Zelenskyy said on Thursday that the meeting with a U.S. representative had not been easy but that it had been constructive.
He said he believed that a document with proposals that emerged from the talks was now on Trump's table.
"...I believe that today, this format, this document, is on President Trump's desk," he told a press conference in South Africa. "Anything that contradicts our values or our constitution cannot be included in any agreement."
Zelenskyy, who cut short his trip to South Africa after the Russian strike, said he did not see signs Washington was putting strong pressure on Russia.
Asked by a reporter if he thought Putin would listen to his appeal to stop missile strikes, Trump said "I do."
He also said that he had his "own deadline" for reaching a peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine, without saying what it was.
Rescue teams were operating at 13 sites in Kyiv with climbing specialists and sniffer dogs, the emergency services said. Forty fires had broken out.
"Mobile telephones are heard ringing beneath rubble. The search will continue until it becomes clear that they have got everyone," it said.
The Russian Defense Ministry said it carried out what it described as a massive overnight strike against Ukraine's military-industrial complex using air, land and sea-based long-range high-precision weapons and drones.
Updating the earlier death toll, Tymur Tkachenko, the head of the Kyiv city military administration, said: "Rescuers have retrieved two more bodies from under the rubble in the Sviatoshynskyi district. We now have 12 dead."
Fires had broken out in garages, administrative buildings and falling metal fragments had struck vehicles.
"There was the air raid siren, we did not even have time to dress to go out of the apartment. One blast came after the other, all windows were blown out, doors, walls, my husband and son were thrown to the other side," Kyiv resident Viktoria Bakal said.
The missile that struck a residential building in the Sviatoshynskyi district west of Kyiv's centre was a North Korean KN-23 (KN-23A) ballistic missile, a Ukrainian military source told Reuters.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X that the "brutal strikes" showed that Russia, not Ukraine, was the obstacle to peace.
Russia launched 145 drones and 70 missiles, including 11 ballistic missiles, in the overnight attack, Ukraine's air force said on Telegram. Air force units shot down 112 targets.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said that apart from Kyiv and the surrounding region, seven other regions were under "mass" attack. Damage was reported in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second biggest, in the Zhytomyr region west of Kyiv and in the industrial city of Pavlohrad, which lies in the central Dnipropetrovsk region.
© Thomson Reuters 2025.
58 Comments
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TaiwanIsNotChina
Not much point in telling a criminal to stop what he is doing.
Underworld
When pressed about what concessions Russia had offered, he said, “stopping taking the whole country.”
That is pathetic. We know that Russia cannot take the whole country. They tried taking Kyiv and Kherson and got pushed out of those cities.
Russia are now using their reserves for a summer offensive in the spring because Ukraine is forcing them to defend their recent gains.
So what concessions has Russia made?
None.
JJE
All military targets.
Look at the next article - US ally kills multiple more.
Anyone who criticises is simply gaslighting.
HappySmiles
How does Trump devise these masterful coercive words? (Tongue in cheek)
JJE
And no one has ever heard of an 'unconditional ceasefire' in recorded human history.
Nothing more than a made-up phrase, adapted to this provoked conflict, which was never uttered when one side held the initiative in 2023. Now it is employed as a cynical whistle.
Underworld
JJE
Nope. Civilians.
JJE
Didn't see those same sentiments on the adjoining article. How odd. Some 'victims' are more worthy.
I'veSeenFootage
Oh yeah I'm sure Vladimir is going to listen to those very very "strong" words, Donald.
Underworld
JJE
Then you didn't look. I just took a quick look, and the same sentiment is there.
TaiwanIsNotChina
One war crime does not excuse another. Simple as.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Everyone has heard of the Korean War and countless other wars with a negotiated settlement.
TaiwanIsNotChina
There is no point in offering a ceasefire to a disgusting aggressor.
TaiwanIsNotChina
*when the aggressor could be on his way out.
geronimo2006
Putin knows Trump is not willing to support Ukraine, and Russia will, over time, be able to take everything they demand from Ukraine. They know Trump is weak and will not stand up to Russia. They know he, and those around him , are compromised and Trump's plea to stop can be ignored. When Trump says Stop! - or else what? - nothing. China will be looking on with great interest.
Underworld
JJE
The conflict was unprovoked.
Tamarama
Vlad clearly doesn't see Trump as a serious leader, and neither should he.
Didn't Trump say he would end the war with 1 phone call as soon as he got into office?
How's that one turned out?
American buffoon.
Underworld
geronimo2006
I don't believe they will be able to.
Russia is under pressure.
However, if Trump drops sanctions, it will be a boost for Putin.
JJE
Funny. Certain lives are more valuable it seems. Not for everyone else.
US/alliance bombing killed 44 but here are the big words being employed selectively.
Moscow has the upper hand - it doesn't need a settlement not on their terms. This is called realism.
marc laden
As a leeeeffftttiiee ... I am so happy that Trump's effort to stop the war in Ukraine is not going forward. Because of my hate to Trump I always look for any news which boost the failure of Trump... I spread it as much as I can.... And I hope Putin and Zelenskyy will never listen Trump.... waiting for more news....
To add more.. China should win the tariff war and USA should become a colony of China... Just a consumer state ..... The effort of Trump to bring back the manufacturing and revive the 70 million job loss of two decades should not win... And China should become the world emperor. They should own this planet and planet moon and Mars...
last point who is he to scold Putin???? This is the proof that Trump is modern day Hitler.... a dictator... ... here my dream comes true.....
Bob Fosse
47 has no cards. He should stop pretending he does.
Underworld
JJE
Moscow certain doesn't have the upper hand, but Putin doesn't care that his meat wave attacks kill 100's of thousands of Russian troops. He will never let Russians know how many have been killed.
He doesn't care that his main tactic is terrorism and targeting civilians.
He hasn't withdrawn his aim of full control of Ukraine.
So why should Trump cave on Russia? Because Trump is weak.
itsonlyrocknroll
Despot despicable dictators don’t deliver on “deals”.
Peace in our time, words written on Neville Chamberlain's piece of paper,
Déjà vu!
bass4funk
Not pretending, he does have a few tools at his disposal
Yrral
Stop in the name of love, before you break my heart,think it over
buchailldana
That's going to put the brakes on Putin.
Trump seems to think he is all powerful.
Why's he calling him Vladimir.
It's just unbelievable that americas president is so beholden.
It's shameful.
theFu
Sadly, I fear the only solution is to kill enough Russians inside Ukraine that they cannot keep the war effort going. Everything short of that won't work.
When Trump tried to convince Zelenskyy to give up parts of Ukraine to Russia for a peace deal, ask his which parts of the USA he'd give up to Russia for peace?
Bob Fosse
His staff or his voters? Both are tools he will gladly dispose of when it suits him.
ClippetyClop
"Vladimir, STOP! Or I'll do NOTHING!"
Newgirlintown
Trump tells Putin to 'STOP'
Oh, that’ll do it.
Finally, someone standing up to Ukraine, I mean Russia.
Bob Fosse
But you can’t tell us what they are. Will we hear all about it in 2 to 3 weeks?
TokyoLiving
Sorry Little Duce..
Mister President Putin won't stop..
lincolnman
And in MAGA-speak. "stop" means "keep going"....
It's all part of the "plan" Vlad is implementing in conjunction with his Poodle in the WH...
Simon Foston
Bob FosseToday 08:07 am JST
To be fair he's probably not completely wrong as Trump is the leader of by far the most powerful country in the world, but anything tools he could use it's guaranteed he won't.
It would have been ludicrous to expect him to end the war within a day of taking office like he claimed he could, but it's been three months now and the situation is as bad as ever. I can't see how anyone can argue that Trump is getting much done.
XCAndtheband
You repeat this on so many articles in the exact same way. No one in the comments has mentioned anything about a ceasefire, and neither does the article, but your comment is written as if it was a rebuttal to a comment someone said. So enough with the copy and paste of the pre-made excuses for Russia’s aggression and indefensible war. The jump to make any excuse for Russia is showing too clearly.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Biden was tougher on China because he didn't cut an run at the first sign of resistance.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Then russia can content itself not being part of Europe in any shape or form.
Tokyo Guy
I wonder if we can extrapolate the rest.
"Vladimir, stop!"
"No".
"Oh. OK."
"And don't ever tell me to stop again, be that on social media or in any other way".
"Yes sir. I'm sorry sir".
"Very good, Agent Krasnov. Remember your station, and carry on".
bass4funk
?
What are you talking about? Lol
bass4funk
Whatever, let those countries deal with it, the Europeans want to be involved so badly, let them deal with it, I hate both Putin and Zelenskyy 2 of the same one coin.
stormcrow
Stop it, Vlad! Stop!
Well, it’s better than blaming Ukraine for Russia invading Ukraine.
Starbucks
What are you talking about? Lol
Slow.
Wasabi
I am very sure that putin is now very afraid and will stop the war in 24h because trump ask him.... :-|
bass4funk
The left
wallace
Trump makes rare criticism of Putin after Russia's deadly attack.
Trump was going to further sanction Putin. 5,000 soldiers are killed every week. He also claimed Biden gave Ukraine $350 billion. The true figure is $119 billion, and Europe is $138 billion.
The Ukrainians are ready for peace. Putin is not.
Primusinter
Trump says stop, you say? Are you saying that Trump wants to stop the war? Is Trump Putin's puppet? That's when sanctions are lifted, when America stops providing military assistance to Ukraine, and when it stops transmitting intelligence and turns off starlink, it might be called a real desire to end the war. Without these actions, Trump is just as much a clown as Zel...
lincolnman
As we've seen here - and even more in the Kremlin's propaganda machine, Russia loves Trump...
"Russian propagandists were practically giddy as they celebrated top U.S. officials—including Donald Trump—bending to the Kremlin’s demands.
“No one could have imagined we would live to see the day where the correct answer about to whom Crimea belongs would come from the president of the United States, and he will not only give it but will also teach the president of Ukraine what this correct answer is,” said business daily Kommersant writer Sergey Strokan on the Russian broadcast program 60 Minutes Wednesday night."
Pretty clear admission what we suspected all along...Trump is a compromised Russian asset...
Tokyo Guy
lincolnmanToday 09:38 am JST
As we've seen here - and even more in the Kremlin's propaganda machine, Russia loves Trump...
"Russian propagandists were practically giddy as they celebrated top U.S. officials—including Donald Trump—bending to the Kremlin’s demands.
*“No one could have imagined we would live to see the day where the correct answer about to whom Crimea belongs would come from the president of the United States, **and he will not only give it but will also teach the president of Ukraine what this correct answer is,” said business daily Kommersant writer Sergey Strokan on the Russian broadcast program 60 Minutes Wednesday night."*
Pretty clear admission what we suspected all along...Trump is a compromised Russian asset...
This is one of the more puzzling things about the MAGA movement. They want to portray this hyper-macho, rugged American image, but their entire movement is spearheaded by a man who takes his orders from what is traditionally the US' arch enemy, and who backs down the minute anyone stands up to him.
Underworld
Primusinter
Surely a blunder if he wasn't in his bunkers?!
Don't believe everything you read on Telegram... LOL
isabelle
Dear Donald:
If you really want Putin to "STOP," know that he will never listen to reason.
Instead, you must stop trying to appease him, and back Ukraine with all the weapons, intelligence, and diplomatic support it needs to defeat him. This is the only way he will "STOP."
Regards,
The World
Primusinter
If you are unable to read telegram, leave your advices for yourself...LOL
u_s__reamer
What kind of advisors does Trump have?
Vladimir, STOP!
is not the way you speak to a Russian. "Vladimir Vladimirovich" is still overfamiliar (they are NOT besties) but shows more politeness. No matter, the chess-playing Putin has put a "duratskii kolpak" (a fool's cap) on the checker-challenged Trump. So no Nobel for Don.
isabelle
Nonsense, as usual.
And, as usual, you also discount the litany of non-military targets that Russia hits daily: homes, businesses, hospitals, schools, infrastructure, etc. All war crimes that your Tsar Putin will face justice for at The Hague one day.
No-one has ever heard of a dictator stopping of his own accord, or through appeasement.
That's why Putin must be stopped by force.
For your Tsar Putin, no-one's life is valuable: least of all Russians.
He is destroying your country, along with Ukraine, and anyone still supporting him would appear to be suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, or just general insanity.
funkymofo
Why?
HopeSpringsEternal
Stopping this messy war is not easy, PM of Norway in 1600 today said it was ONLY Possible because of DJT.
That said, been fighting since 2014, Ukraine's lost +10M in population since then to mainly Europe and Russia, their economy and infrastructure been destroyed etc.
Majority citizens from EU, US, Ukraine and Russia all prefer peace to continued destruction and depopulation of Ukraine due to $costly deadly unwinnable war they lose daily, like above attack, while risking WWIII escalation
funkymofo
Parroting yesterday’s Kremlin talking point
lincolnman
First, you have to realize Trump has no understanding of the word "STOP"....
If he did, he wouldn't owe E. Jean Carrol $5 million....
gaijintraveller
While at the same time supporting and financing genocide in Gaza and slaughter in Lebanon, Yemen and the Occupied West Bank. What's the difference?
factchecker
Hang on, he was going to end the war on day 1 of getting back in. What happened there? Just another lie it would seem.