Zelenskyy urges allies to put ‘new pressure’ on Russia to bring an end to ‘daily reality’ of attacks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Russian attacks across his country continue to be a “daily reality” despite the partial ceasefire agreed to last week. He referenced the overnight drone attack on Kyiv, in which at least 3 people were killed, and a Russian attack on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia which reportedly killed a family of three late on Friday evening.
Zelenskyy, paying his condolences to the victims of the attacks ahead of the ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia, wrote in a post on X:
These attacks are a daily reality. This week alone, over 1,580 guided aerial bombs, nearly 1,100 strike drones, and 15 missiles of various types were used against our people.
All of this weaponry contains at least 102,000 foreign components. That’s why sanctions against Russian terrorists must be more effective. Every loophole that allows them to bypass the sanctions regime must be eliminated.
New decisions and new pressure on Moscow are needed to bring an end to these strikes and this war. We must strengthen Ukraine and our army – with more air defense systems and real support. I thank all partners who understand this and continue to support Ukraine.
Key events
“On Monday we mainly intend to discuss President Putin’s agreement to resume the so-called Black Sea initiative, and our negotiators will be ready to discuss the nuances around this problem,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state TV.
Russia pulled out of the Turkish-brokered deal, which had enabled Ukraine to export grain from its Black Sea ports, in July 2023, accusing the west of failing to uphold its commitments to ease sanctions on Russia’s own exports of agricultural products and fertilisers.
It meant Moscow stopped granting safe passage to cargo ships going to and from Ukraine, and the country’s grain exports subsequently slumped.
You can read more about the deal and its economic significance in this explainer.
Kremlin says ‘difficult negotiations’ lay ahead in Ukraine-Russia ceasefire talks
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has been speaking to Russian state TV ahead of the US’s separate ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia with Ukraine and Russia at meetings over Sunday and Monday.
He was quoted as saying “we are only at the beginning of this path”, adding that negotiations with Washington tomorrow would be “difficult” and that Moscow’s “main” focus would be on a possible resumption of a deal to ensure safe navigation for commercial vessels in the Black Sea.
Following the Trump-Putin call last week, the White House said the two leaders agreed that “the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire”, followed by negotiations over a “maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace”.
A fast US brokered ceasefire in Ukraine is unlikely for many reasons. Putin has said any talks must address what he frames as “the root causes” of Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022, primarily his concerns around an expanding Nato alliance. Ukraine has made membership of the alliance a key strategic aim that it says would help protect the country in the event of future Russian aggression.
Putin also said during his call with Trump that any long-term deal would require an ending of intelligence sharing and military aid to Kyiv from its allies. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after the call that Ukraine’s allies would never agree to such a move, adding that he hopes supplies will continue.
What can we expect to be discussed during the ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia?
My colleagues Pjotr Sauer, Shaun Walker and Andrew Roth have filed this report on what we can expect when delegations from Kyiv, Moscow and Washington meet in Saudi Arabia on Monday for further so-called peace talks. Here is an extract from their story:
Ukraine will have a delegation in Riyadh on the same day the US is holding ceasefire talks there with a Russian negotiating team led by a secretive former FSB chief who played a key role in planning Vladimir Putin’s 2022 full-scale invasion.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said the delegation would meet with US representatives on Monday and supply a list of energy infrastructure that would be off-limits for strikes by the Russian military. The US representatives would then meet the Russian negotiating team, Zelenskyy said on Thursday.
The Ukrainian announcement indicates the US could shuttle between the two sides to try to achieve Donald Trump’s goal of a quick ceasefire. But both Russia and Ukraine have already disputed the White House’s accounts of their earlier talks with the US president, indicating Trump may have misrepresented the progress of the talks – and his chances of striking a quick deal to halt the war.
Moscow announced on Thursday that Sergei Beseda, the former head of the FSB spy agency’s fifth directorate – who oversaw intelligence operations in Ukraine and orchestrated the recruitment of collaborators before the full-scale invasion – would travel to Riyadh for Monday’s talks with the US.
Both sides said the talks in Saudi Arabia were aimed at finalising a limited ceasefire deal agreed this week, and initiating negotiations on a maritime ceasefire…
Zelenskyy has accused Russia of making “unnecessary demands” that will drag out the war, and said Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure had not stopped despite Putin’s claims about his readiness to halt them.
Moscow doubled down on Thursday on its insistence that a requirement for serious peace talks would be the complete cessation of both foreign military aid and the provision of intelligence to Kyiv.
Six people injured in a Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia on Saturday night remain in hospital, the head of the southern city’s regional military administration Ivan Fedorov wrote in a Telegram post.
“Among them is a nine-month-old boy. Doctors assess the condition of the victims as moderate. All are receiving the necessary medical care,” he said.
Fedorov had previously said Russian drone attacks launched on Zaporizhzhia on Friday evening had killed three people, including a 17-year-old girl.
As well as Kyiv, the overnight Russian attacks were reported to have struck the Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Odesa and Donetsk regions.
Zelenskyy urges allies to put ‘new pressure’ on Russia to bring an end to ‘daily reality’ of attacks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Russian attacks across his country continue to be a “daily reality” despite the partial ceasefire agreed to last week. He referenced the overnight drone attack on Kyiv, in which at least 3 people were killed, and a Russian attack on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia which reportedly killed a family of three late on Friday evening.
Zelenskyy, paying his condolences to the victims of the attacks ahead of the ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia, wrote in a post on X:
These attacks are a daily reality. This week alone, over 1,580 guided aerial bombs, nearly 1,100 strike drones, and 15 missiles of various types were used against our people.
All of this weaponry contains at least 102,000 foreign components. That’s why sanctions against Russian terrorists must be more effective. Every loophole that allows them to bypass the sanctions regime must be eliminated.
New decisions and new pressure on Moscow are needed to bring an end to these strikes and this war. We must strengthen Ukraine and our army – with more air defense systems and real support. I thank all partners who understand this and continue to support Ukraine.
Russian forces capture settlement in eastern Ukraine – report
Russian troops seized the small village of Sribne in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, Interfax news agency reported on Sunday, citing the defence ministry.
Sribne is located southwest of Pokrovsk, the industrial city which, if taken by Russia, will deprive the Ukrainian military of a vital supply and transport hub.
Russian shelling kills three people in Pokrovsk – governor
Russian shelling killed three people on Saturday in the eastern Ukrainian town of Pokrovsk, the regional governor confirmed in a Telegram post this morning.
Pokrovsk has been under attack for months as the former mining city in the eastern Donetsk region is seen as a strategically important logistics hub.
But Ukraine’s military has reported success in recent weeks in holding back Russian forces in the area.
On Saturday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Ukraine’s Donetsk region, where he met commanders of drone units near Pokrovsk.
“I visited the command post of the Tactical Group Pokrovsk and met with the commanders of the Drone Line, which united the finest unmanned systems units of the armed forces of Ukraine,” the Ukrainian leader wrote on X.
“I received a report on the defense of the Pokrovsk direction, the operational situation, and the progress of the missions. I honored our warriors with state awards.”
Here are some of the latest images coming out of the Kyiv following the deadly Russian drone attacks launched overnight:
Russia’s ministry of defence said earlier today it had shot down 59 Ukrainian drones across a number of regions in the south, and in Crimea, which is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine, despite Russia’s illegal annexation of it in 2014.
Russian forces launched 147 drones overnight across Ukraine and the country’s air defence shot down 97 drones, Ukraine’s air force has reported. The previous day, the air defence shot down 100 drones launched by Moscow, and 114 drones the day before that.
The Kremlin said last week it had agreed to a US-proposed partial ceasefire, with Vladimir Putin agreeing to halt strikes on Ukrainian energy targets for 30 days, after a lengthy phone call with US President Donald Trump.
Despite the announcement, which was made as officials work towards a more comprehensive deal, Russian missile and drone attacks against Ukraine have continued.
My colleague Pjotr Sauer has written this useful explainer on when the ceasefire is expected to take effect and what happens if Russia or Ukraine breaks their word.
Russia launches deadly drone attack on Kyiv ahead of ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine.
At least three people were killed, including a five-year-old child, after Russia launched an overnight drone attack on Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials.
Ukraine’s Kyiv city military administration gave the casualty figures and said at least 10 other people were injured, with the drones causing several fires throughout the city.
Two residential buildings in the district of Dnipro caught fire due to falling drone debris, while a fire broke out on the top floors of a 9-storey building in the capital, killing one woman, officials said.
“Today, the Russians are once again demonstrating their ‘desire for peace,’” Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv city military administration, said.
“In reality, terrorists are simply launching deadly weapons at residential buildings.”
The attack came ahead of scheduled ceasefire talks between US and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia later today, which are to be led by Andrew Peek of the national security council and Michael Anton of the state department.
After US officials meet the Ukrainians this evening, they will meet Russian officials in Saudi Arabia on Monday, Reuters reports. Ukrainian officials are expected to be at the talks involving US and Russian officials but would not be in the same room as the Russians.
At the talks, the Ukrainian delegation is expected to supply a list of energy infrastructure that would be off-limits for strikes by the Russian military.
Russian and US experts will also discuss ways to ensure the safety of shipping in the Black Sea, the Kremlin has said.
Russian president Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy have already agreed to a partial ceasefire covering energy and civilian infrastructure – but both Moscow and Kyiv have accused the other of violating the agreement.
