When asked about the Russian strikes on Kyiv at a briefing earlier on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was continuing to hit ‘military and military-adjacent targets.’
Donald Trump (pictured yesterday) says he is ‘not happy’ that Vladimir Putin launched an overnight missile strike on Kyiv
Trump urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin (pictured today): ‘Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!’
Trump urged Vladimir Putin to ‘get the peace deal done’
The Kremlin fired 66 ballistic and cruise missiles, four plane-launched air-to-surface missiles, and 145 Shahed and decoy drones at Kyiv and four other regions of Ukraine overnight, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Kyiv reeled from the bombardment, which kept residents on edge for about 11 hours. Zelensky called the fatal attack ‘one of the most sophisticated, most brazen’ during Russia’s three-year invasion.
Zelensky is visiting South Africa but has said he will cut his trip short to return to Kyiv – after his talks with President Cyril Ramaphosa.
‘Russia understands that Ukraine is standing up, defending its rights and (it) is putting pressure on our people. It is also putting pressure on America,’ the Ukrainian president told journalists in South Africa. ‘This is what I also link today’s attack with.’
Thursday’s attack came hours after Trump said a Ukraine peace deal was ‘very close’ and effectively closed with Moscow.
But Zelensky insisted that Kyiv would not accept Crimea as part of Russia.
Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014 and backed a pro-Russian rebellion in eastern Ukraine, leading to years of conflict with Kyiv.
‘We do everything that our partners have proposed, only what contradicts our legislation and the Constitution we cannot do,’ Zelensky said, answering a question on Crimea.
Missiles plummet into Kyiv as Russia launches air attack on capital
An explosion of a drone is seen in the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike in Kyiv, Ukraine on April 24, 2025
Fire brigades respond to a fire caused by massive Russian shelling in Buchansky district of Kyiv, Ukraine on April 24, 2025. At least 9 people were killed and 70 injured early Thursday in Russian strikes targeting Ukraine’s capital
Flames rise from a fire caused by massive Russian shelling in Buchansky district of Kyiv, Ukraine on April 24, 2025
Zelensky also said he did not see enough pressure from Kyiv’s allies on Moscow to halt its invasion.
‘I don’t see any strong pressure on Russia or any new sanctions packages against Russia’s aggression,’ Zelensky told journalists during a visit to South Africa.
He did however acknowledge that Trump had previously warned of repercussions if Moscow did not agree to a ceasefire.
Trump’s rare rebuke of Putin followed his criticism of Zelensky yesterday for saying Ukraine would not recognise Russia’s occupation of Crimea – a longtime Kyiv stance.
‘This statement is very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia,’ Trump said in a social media post.
Trump, who argued with Zelensky in a disastrous Oval Office meeting in March, said Crimea was lost years ago ‘and is not even a point of discussion.’
Trump yesterday accused Zelensky of ‘prolonging the killing field’ by refusing to give up territory and warned the Ukrainian president he can ‘have peace, or he can fight for another three years before losing the whole country’.
The White House tried to turn the screw yesterday, with Vice President JD Vance telling Kyiv to surrender land or the US would walk away.
But Zelensky is refusing to countenance any Russian claim to annexed Crimea, or hand over a fifth of the country to the Kremlin, as per the US-dictated deal put forward.
Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a rocket strike that hit a residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine overnight
The aftermath of a missile strike on a residential building on April 24, 2025 in Kyiv, Ukraine
Ukrainian rescuers operate at the site of a Russian missile attack in Kyiv on April 24, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Kyiv battles massive fires as Russian drone attacks continue
Planned high-level talks in London were scuppered yesterday when two members of Trump’s top team suddenly pulled out.
Peace envoy Steve Witkoff and secretary of state Marco Rubio were due to sit down with UK, European and Ukrainian officials, hosted by Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
But in a humiliating move, they withdrew at the 11th hour, sending Ukraine special envoy Keith Kellogg instead, as Kyiv refused to buckle to American ultimatums.
Instead, Witkoff was said to be on his way to Moscow last night for a meeting with Putin tomorrow.
US attempts to strong-arm Ukraine into concessions have also placed strain on the ‘special relationship’ with Britain.
Trump is set to meet with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre later today to discuss the war in Ukraine, US tariffs and other issues.
Norway, a member of NATO and strong supporter of Ukraine, shares a roughly 123-mile border with Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (pictured today in South Africa) said today that the large-scale missile attack on Kyiv was designed to put ‘pressure’ on the United States
Meanwhile, Europe has stepped up its demands that Putin agree to an immediate unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine, with French President Emmanuel Macron having accused the Russian leader of ‘lying’ about wanting peace.
‘The only thing to do is for President Putin to finally stop lying,’ Macron said during a visit to Madagascar, saying how the Russian leader was telling US negotiators ‘he wants peace’ but then continuing ‘to bombard Ukraine’.
‘In Ukraine, they only want a single answer: Does President Putin agree to an unconditional ceasefire?’
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the deadly overnight attack demonstrated that Putin was ‘the aggressor here’.