At least ten people were killed as Russia launched drone and missile attacks across Ukrainian cities on Monday, hours before the meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and US leader Donald Trump in Washington.
An overnight drone attack on a residential area in Kharkiv region killed an entire family, including a toddler and a sixteen-year-old boy. Around 30 people were injured in the attack, the head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration said. Rescue workers were working in the site of wreckage to pull survivors from under the rubbles. Three more people were killed as Russia fired ballistic missiles at southeastern Zaporizhzhia region.
Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybih said in a social media post that "despite all of the diplomacy and peace efforts, Russia continues to kill civilians. Russia is a murderous war machine that Ukraine is holding back. And it must be stopped through transatlantic unity and pressure. Moscow must stop the killing in order to advance diplomacy."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy who is scheduled to meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, described the attack as a “demonstrative and cynical Russian strike”. Zelenskiy also said Russia hit an energy facility belonging to Azerbaijan’s State Oil Company, the SOCAR, "implying that it was an attack not only on us but also on our relations and energy security."
"The Russian war machine continues to destroy lives despite everything. Putin will commit demonstrative killings to maintain pressure on Ukraine and Europe, as well as to humiliate diplomatic efforts," Zelenskiy said. "That is precisely why we are seeking assistance to put an end to the killings. That is why reliable security guarantees are required. That is why Russia should not be rewarded for its participation in this war. The war must be ended. And it is Moscow that must hear the word: "Stop," he concluded.
Zelenskiy will meet with Donald Trump in the Oval Office to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. The meeting comes on the heels of Trump’s Friday meeting with Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska.
