Russia fired cruise and ballistic missiles at Ukraine in a major overnight attack, Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday, as the Ukrainian president renewed his plea for a partial ceasefire at the end of a week in which the United States suspended military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
Russia’s assault targeted several regions across Ukraine, using nearly 70 missiles and almost 200 drones, Zelensky said on X, adding that the “massive” attack was “directed against infrastructure that ensures normal life.”
Following the strikes, Zelensky again stressed his desire for a partial ceasefire – a plan first floated by French President Emmanuel Macron and since discussed by Ukraine’s European allies, who met Thursday in Brussels for a crucial European Union defense summit. Echoing the plan outlined by Macron, Zelensky said he hoped there can be “silence in the skies – banning the use of missiles, long-range drones and aerial bombs,” as well as “silence at sea – a real guarantee of normal navigation.” He added later Friday that “the most intensive work ever” is underway with US President Donald Trump’s team ahead of Zelensky’s visit to Saudi Arabia next week for negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
But the Trump administration has dealt further blows to Ukraine this week, pausing military shipments to the country and cutting off intelligence sharing. The White House also has suspended Ukraine’s access to commercial satellite imagery purchased by the US government through the company Maxar, spokespeople for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and Maxar said Friday. Kyiv has long used this overhead imagery to track Russian troop movements, assess terrain and help in the planning of military operations.
After weeks of more amicable relations with Russia, Trump issued a surprising threat to Moscow on Friday, saying “based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine,” he is considering placing large-scale banking sanctions and tariffs on Russia until it agrees to a ceasefire and final peace settlement.“To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late,” Trump said on TruthSocial.
But despite Trump’s harsh tone, the prospect of higher tariffs will mean little to Moscow, given the tiny amounts of trade between the US and Russia. Last year, Russia exported just $3.5 billion of goods to the US, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative. The halting of American military equipment may have devastating effects on Ukraine’s capabilities and could leave millions of civilians vulnerable to Russian missile strikes.
Russia’s overnight barrage included 43 cruise missiles, including eight Kalibr cruise missiles, as well as three Iskander ballistic missiles and 194 drones, according to Ukraine’s air force. The air force said it downed 134 projectiles, including 25 of the cruise missiles, all eight Kalibr missiles, a guided aircraft missile and 100 drones – but it was unable to repel the ballistic missiles, which travel at about five times the speed of sound.
However, it was unable to repel the ballistic missiles, which travel at about five times the speed of sound. The only weapon in Ukraine’s arsenal capable of downing ballistic missiles is the US-made Patriot system, which were already in short supply before the US cut off military aid to Kyiv.
Zelensky said that F-16 fighter jets, as well as Mirage aircraft provided by France, had been used to help repel the attack, and that the Mirages had successfully intercepted some of the cruise missiles.
In the late hours of Friday, Russian strikes on the city of Dobropillia in eastern Ukraine killed at least five people and injured another 18, the head of Donetsk regional military administration, Vadym Filashkin, said in a Telegram post. Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa also endured a wave of drone attacks late on Friday, said the head of the Odesa region military administration Oleh Kiper.
Source: Here