Russia Bombards Eastern Ukraine – 12 Lives Lost in Brutal Assault

Russian strikes overnight killed at least 12 people in eastern Ukraine as of Saturday morning, according to the country’s emergency service. This escalation comes just days before talks in Saudi Arabia between U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators aimed at achieving a truce.

A Russian assault targeted the center of Dobropillia in Ukraine’s Donetsk region late Friday, resulting in the deaths of 11 individuals and wounding 30, as reported by the emergency service. Additionally, one person was killed in a drone attack early Saturday in the city of Bogodukhiv, where seven others were injured, according to Kharkiv region military head Oleg Synegubov.

These overnight air raids follow comments from U.S. President Donald Trump, who threatened new sanctions and tariffs on Russia but suggested it might be “easier” to negotiate with Moscow than with Kyiv to end the three-year conflict. After publicly admonishing Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky during a White House meeting and suspending U.S. aid to Kyiv to encourage diplomacy, Trump stated to reporters on Friday that he had more trust in Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I’m finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine, and they don’t have the cards,” Trump remarked. “It may be easier dealing with Russia.” These comments came shortly after Trump threatened new sanctions and tariffs on Russia due to its bombardments on Ukraine, which occurred just hours after Moscow launched a “massive” drone and missile attack on Ukrainian energy facilities.

“Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large-scale banking sanctions, sanctions, and tariffs on Russia until a ceasefire and final settlement agreement on peace is reached,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. He urged both Russia and Ukraine to negotiate before it becomes too late.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, on Friday. During the call, Rubio emphasized Trump’s goal of quickly ending the war and asserted that “all sides must take steps to secure a sustainable peace,” as stated by State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.

Interested in Peace

Zelensky is scheduled to land in Saudi Arabia on Monday for discussions with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. This meeting precedes expected talks between Ukrainian officials and their U.S. counterparts on Tuesday in the kingdom. After he met with Prince Mohammed, Zelensky stated that his team would “remain in Saudi Arabia to work with our American partners,” adding, “Ukraine is most interested in peace.”

Earlier on Friday, Zelensky had reiterated calls for a mutual halt to aerial attacks on critical infrastructure following recent Russian bombardments. He proposed that the first steps towards real peace should involve stopping both Russian and Ukrainian aerial and naval assaults, a proposal reflective of growing dialogue in Kyiv, Washington, and Moscow about halting the war. However, the Kremlin has previously dismissed the idea of a temporary ceasefire.

Moscow’s defense ministry announced on Saturday that its air defense systems had destroyed 31 Ukrainian drones over the previous night, primarily over the territory of Krasnodar Krai. Additionally, a Ukrainian drone attack targeted Russia’s Kirishi oil refinery, with air defense forces intercepting one drone before it could reach the facility, as reported by Leningrad governor Aleksandr Drozdenko, who noted that falling debris had damaged part of the refinery.

A civilian was also wounded during a drone attack in the Belgorod district near the border, according to Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

Talks on Track

Russia’s defense ministry confirmed on Friday that it had carried out “precision” strikes on energy facilities. The Ukrainian air force reported for the first time deploying French Mirage fighter jets—delivered to Ukraine last month—to repel the aerial onslaught.

DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy supplier, announced that its facilities in the Black Sea region of Odesa had come under fire for the fourth consecutive night. The company stated that its gas facilities in the central Poltava region had ceased operations due to the overnight attacks. Furthermore, State gas company Naftogaz reported damage to its production facilities.

Ukraine’s energy minister, German Galushchenko, accused Russia of attempting to harm ordinary Ukrainians by targeting energy and gas production facilities. These latest air raids occurred after EU leaders, alarmed by the possibility of U.S. disengagement, agreed to bolster the bloc’s defenses.

However, Washington indicated that talks with Kyiv were back on track to secure a ceasefire with Moscow, following the public fall-out between Trump and Zelensky. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff stated that he would discuss an “initial ceasefire” with Ukrainian negotiators and outline a “framework” for a more extended agreement during the upcoming talks in Saudi Arabia.