"Vladimir, STOP!": Trump calls on Russia to halt bombing after one of the worst attacks in Kiev

BarcelonaAt least nine people were killed and more than 70 injured in the massive Russian attack launched early in the morning against the Ukrainian capital, according to Interior Minister Ihor Klimenko. The missile bombardment affected five districts of the city and is one of the deadliest in Kiev since the start of the war three years ago. The massive attack comes after the president declaredc, Donald Trump, will redouble the pressure on Zelensky to accept a partition of Ukraine, handing over parts of its territory (Crimea and the annexed eastern provinces) to Russia. The Ukrainian has asked Washington to put more pressure on Russia to stop the bombings.

Trump sought to distance himself from the Russian president with an eloquent message on his Truth Social network: "I am not satisfied with the Russian attacks on KYIV. They are unnecessary and [come] at a very bad time. Vladimir STOP! 5,000 soldiers die every week.

The Sviatoixin district has been the hardest hit. "[Here] the situation is tragic. The rubble of a destroyed house is still being removed. Engineers, rescuers, and dogs are working. Phone calls can be heard from under the rubble [...]," the State Emergency Service explained. According to the head of the Kiev City Military Administration, Timur Tchechenko, Russia has attacked the Ukrainian capital with drones, guided missiles, and ballistic missiles.

Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klychko said rescue teams were still pulling survivors from the rubble, and that the injured included six children and a pregnant woman. Debris from intercepted missiles also caused damage as they fell on buildings and vehicles.

Aside from the capital, Russia also launched massive attacks on the regions of Khitomyr, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Poltava, Khmelnytskyi, Sumi, and Zaporizhia. In Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city, seven missiles and 12 suicide drones were launched. Mayor Ihor Terekhov said there were two injuries and that the targets were several houses, a factory, and an apartment block in a densely populated residential area.

On Wednesday, Trump accused Zelensky of prolonging "the massacre" and making statements "that cause a lot of damage" by ruling out recognizing Russian sovereignty over Crimea and other Ukrainian territories and demanding a ceasefire before negotiations begin.

Olha Rudenko, director of the Kyiv Independent, criticized Washington's policy: "I can't explain how surreal it is to be sitting on the floor in the safest part of my apartment feeling the loud explosions of a Russian missile and drone attack, after having spent the entire day discussing and editing articles about how the United States is, in fact, demanding surrender."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has cut short his official trip to South Africa to return to Kiev. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said he had spoken with Trump to "discuss the peace process in Ukraine" and that they had agreed "that the war must end as soon as possible to avoid further unnecessary deaths." For his part, Zelensky recalled that 44 days ago, "Ukraine agreed to a complete ceasefire, but Russia continues to kill people and evade responsibility. It is very important that the world sees and understands what is really going on." The Ukrainian reiterates his demand for an "immediate and unconditional" ceasefire before sitting down to negotiate, and adds humanitarian gestures, such as the return of prisoners of war and the creatures kidnapped by Russia".

French President Emmanuel Macron has come out in defense of the Ukrainian leader: "We cannot expect Zelensky to accept the terms of the ceasefire that the United States is trying to negotiate while Russia continues to bomb Ukraine.