Zelensky Condemns Russian Strikes on Ukraine

Ukrainian President Voldymir Zelensky strongly condemned the overnight strikes that hit various regions of Ukraine, including Kiev, early Saturday morning.

Zelensky took to social media to describe the attacks, which affected areas such as Odesa, Vinnitia, Smie, Harkiv, Donetsk, Kiev, and Dnipro. He noted the heavy damage inflicted and remarked that the Kremlin’s drones and missiles were intentionally targeting civilians.

“This can be lethal,” he mentioned, sharing his thoughts with family and friends on platform X.

He also pointed out that Ukraine has repeatedly proposed ceasefires—both complete and temporary—but these offers have been ignored by Russia.

Zelensky insisted that only sanctions from the US and Western Europe can compel Russia to agree to a ceasefire.

As reported by Ukrainian officials, the Kremlin launched ballistic missiles and deployed drones, resulting in injuries to 15 people and damaging several residential buildings. This escalation followed a recent Ukrainian drone attack deep within Russian territory earlier in the week.

These overnight attacks coincided with the ongoing exchange of prisoners between the two sides, a process that has been in place for over three years. On Saturday, both parties managed to bring home 307 soldiers each, facilitated in Turkey, ultimately replacing 1,000 prisoners.

Zelensky mentioned that so far, 697 prisoners are slated to return to Ukraine, with further exchanges expected on Sunday.

“Among those returning today are our army warriors, border security personnel, and members of the Ukrainian national guard,” he wrote in another post, expressing gratitude to everyone involved in the round-the-clock exchange process.

Additionally, it appears that President Trump has stepped back from his earlier calls for a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Instead, he has urged both sides to negotiate a broader peace agreement.