A relentless wave of Russian strikes has left at least 25 dead across Ukraine, officials say, with the war’s brutal tempo showing no mercy. The onslaught, intensified since the U.S. dialed back military and intelligence support, has battered Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Odesa, shattering homes and infrastructure.
In Donetsk’s Dobropillya, the deadliest blow landed late Friday. Two ballistic missiles slammed into eight residential blocks and a shopping center, killing 11 and injuring 40—including six children—local authorities report. As rescuers raced in, Russia struck again, a move President Volodymyr Zelensky decried on Telegram as a “deliberate” attack on first responders. “This is Russia’s unchanged playbook—more bombs, more terror,” he wrote. Elsewhere in Donetsk, nine more died and 13 were wounded over Friday and Saturday.
In Kharkiv’s Bohodukhiv, drones hit a company early Saturday, leaving three dead and seven injured, per regional head Oleh Synyehubov. Odesa took a hit too, with a Friday drone assault crippling civilian and energy targets. “Seventh strike on our power grid in three weeks,” Ukraine’s DTEK energy firm lamented.
The surge follows a U.S. pause in aid and intelligence-sharing, a fallout from last week’s fiery White House clash between Zelensky and President Donald Trump. Polish PM Donald Tusk didn’t hold back, posting online: “Appease barbarians, and this is what you get—more aggression, more victims.”
Russia’s defense ministry claimed it swatted down 31 Ukrainian drones overnight, a sign Kyiv’s still punching back. Trump, meanwhile, mused Friday about peace talks, calling Russia “easier to deal with” than Ukraine. “We’re doing well with Moscow,” he told reporters, hours after floating hefty sanctions and tariffs to force a ceasefire. The U.S. also cut Ukraine’s access to Maxar satellite imagery, a move confirmed Friday—exactly seven days after Trump scolded Zelensky for “disrespect.”
Europe’s jittery. With Trump cozying up to Putin, the continent fears it’s on its own. EU leaders huddled in Brussels Thursday, greenlighting bigger defense budgets and renewed Ukraine backing. Next week, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff heads to Saudi Arabia to probe ceasefire talks with Ukrainian negotiators.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, it’s clawed about 20% of Ukraine’s land. For now, the bombs keep falling—and the stakes keep rising.