Zelensky criticises US after Russia launches one of biggest aerial assaults since war began

 President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticised the US for its silence following Russia’s bombardment of Ukraine in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Twelve people are understood to have been killed after Moscow launched 367 drones and missiles targeted at 30 towns and cities across Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv.

The overnight barrage has been described as the worst aerial attack since the war began and three children are reported to be among those killed in the northern region of Zhytomyr.

Zelensky wrote on Telegram: "The silence of America, the silence of others in the world only encourages Putin. Every such terrorist Russian strike is reason enough for new sanctions against Russia."

US President Donald Trump has taken a cautious stance on intervention with Russia and even sided with some of Putin's arguments.

This is in sharp contrast with his predecessor Joe Biden's administration, which was outspoken in its support of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders have called for a 30-day ceasefire as a step towards ending the three-year conflict. However, their efforts have been hindered by Donald Trump’s refusal to endorse further sanctions on Russia, following Vladimir Putin’s failure to halt military action.

The US president held a two-hour phone call with Putin on Monday, during which he reportedly warned he was prepared to walk away from negotiations entirely — despite pledging during his election campaign to end the war on "day one" of his second term.

Meanwhile, the UK and European leaders have announced a fresh wave of sanctions targeting Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” — a flotilla of around 200 vessels used to export Russian oil globally.

According to the EU, this marks the 17th package of European sanctions imposed on Russia since the war began in 2022.

“Without pressure, nothing will change and Russia and its allies will only build up forces for such murders in Western countries,” Zelenskyy’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak stated on Telegram.

“Moscow will fight as long as it has the ability to produce weapons.”

Scenes in Kyiv in the early hours of Saturday were described as “hellish”, with an orange glow lighting the sky and billowing smoke from explosions and gunfire — marking one of the largest-scale attacks since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.

Russian forces launched 14 Iskander-M or KN-23 ballistic missiles, alongside 250 Shahed-type attack drones and decoy drones.

Ukraine’s air defences shot down 128 drones, while a further 117 were either neutralised by electronic warfare systems or vanished from radar.

“With each such attack, the world becomes more certain that the cause of prolonging the war lies in Moscow," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on X.

Zelensky said fires and explosions broke out across Kyiv during the “difficult night” with homes and businesses hit by strikes or falling debris.

Mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, said the city was "under a combined enemy attack" and that fragments from a drone hit the top floor of a housing block in Solomyanskyi district.

One block of flats was engulfed in flames in the area, alongside a non-residential building.

Mr Klitschko wrote on Telegram: "Emergency services are working on the ground. Stay in shelters until the air alarm is canceled! The attack on the capital continues."