London – Russia launched a fresh wave of drone strikes in Ukraine overnight until Sunday morning when the country rolled from a bloody weekend of air strikes that Kyiv said killed at least 24 people.
Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 119 Shahed -attack drones into the country overnight, 73 of which were shot down and 37 lost during flight without causing any damage.
Influences were reported in Donetsk, Kharkiv, Poltava, Cherkasy, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia, the Air Force said in a telegram post.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Sunday morning post to social media that each Russian attack represents a failure in the Western-led sanctions campaign against Moscow. “Each shafte, every air bomb used by Russia, includes components provided in circumvention of sanctions,” he said. “These weapons contain more than 82,000 foreign components.”
“Every day we work with our partners to ensure that decisions are made precisely to the support that saves life: the supply of air defense, investments in our defense production, strengthening sanctions against Russia,” Zelenskyy wrote. “And we continue our work to bring a fair peace closer to and provide reliable security guarantees.”
Residents are on site for apartment buildings affected by a Russian missile strike in the city of Dobropillia, Donetsk Region, Ukraine, March 8, 2025.
Andrii Dubchak/Reuters
Russia has intensified its large number of strikes on Ukraine over the past week, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s decision to pause all military assistance to and intelligence with Ukraine in an attempt to force Kyiv to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end Moscow’s three -year -old invasion.
On Friday night, Russia saw 145 drones and three missiles to Ukraine, the Air Force said. It reported Downing 79 drones with 54 others lost during flight.
On Saturday, Ukraine said 24 people were killed in drone strikes in Donetsk, Kharkiv and Odesa. Among the locations were residential buildings and a shopping center in Donetsk -City Dobropilya, which was exposed to ballistic missile and drone attacks.
Ukraine continued her own attacks on long reach in Russia on Saturday night. The Ministry of Russia said the reduced 88 Ukrainian drones over eight Russian regions, while Russia’s federal air transport agency introduced temporary operating restrictions in airports in Astrakhan, Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod.
Ukraine’s European allies released harsh condemnations of Russia’s weekend attack.
“This is what happens when someone deepens the barbarians,” wrote Polish President Donald Tusk on X, adding, “more bombs, more aggression, more victims. Another tragic night in Ukraine.”
The main diplomat of the European Union, Kaja Kallas, wrote on X, “Russian missiles fall mercilessly on Ukraine and brought more death and more destruction.”
“Once again, Putin shows that he has no interest in peace,” she added. “We have to intensify our military support – otherwise even more Ukrainian civilians pay the highest price.”
Zelenskyy meanwhile expressed his compassion for the victims of Saturday’s strikes in a social media post. “Of course we do our utmost to protect life,” he wrote.
“I am grateful to all leaders, all these diplomats in our partner countries, all public persons who support Ukraine who have condemned these Russian strikes, and who call all things by their proper names,” he added.
“It is important that we continue to coordinate all our efforts with our partners to ensure that our defense works effectively and that we do everything to bring peace closer,” Zelenskyy said.
Ukraine is pushing for a resumption of US military assistance and intelligence, both of which were introduced after a disastrous meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy in the White House.
Explosions are seen in the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike on Kiev, Ukraine, on March 8, 2025.
Gleb Garanich/Reuters
Trump has repeatedly – and false – framed his Ukrainian counterpart as a illegitimate leader and Ukraine as the instant of Russia’s war. Ukrainian and European leaders have expressed concern about what they see as an American adaptation to Russian tales of the war since Trump’s return to the White House.
Ukrainian and US officials will meet in Saudi Arabia next week for discussions on the end of the war. National security adviser Mike Waltz and State Secretary Marco Rubio will lead the US delegation.
On Friday, Trump told journalists “We are doing very well with Russia,” as he said was “to bomb hell out of Ukraine.”
When asked if he felt Putin took advantage of US Freeze for help in his intensified attacks on Ukraine, Trump added, “I actually think he is doing what someone else would do … I think he will make it stopped and settled.”
The president also framed Ukraine again as the main obstacle for peace. “I find it more difficult, frankly to deal with Ukraine. And they don’t have the cards, ”Trump said. “In terms of getting a final solution it may be easier to handle Russia.”
ABC News’ Victoria Beaule contributed to this report.
