Russia launched its largest aerial bombardment on Ukraine this week. Ukrainian forces shot down six missiles and neutralized 245 drones — 128 drones were shot down and 117 were thwarted
Donald Trump’s envoy general Keith Kellogg has called for a ceasefire after Russia launched its largest aerial bombardment since the war began in 2022.
The drone attacks have intensified between Russia and Ukraine this week as Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners as part of a negotiated exchange of a thousand citizens from each side. The latest POWs comes after apocalyptic images of explosions and fires were seen during a seven hour missile and drone bombardment on Kyiv overnight. The large-scale Russian drone and missile attack left at least 15 people injured.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia ’s defense ministry said each side brought home 307 more soldiers on Saturday, a day after each released a total of 390 combatants and civilians. Further releases expected over the weekend are set to make the swap the largest in more than three years of war.
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The exchange — the latest of dozens of swaps since the war began and the biggest involving Ukrainian civilians so far — did not herald a halt in the fighting. Moscow and Kyiv have exchanged fire as Russia said it faced a barrage of Ukrainian drones while officials said Russia attacked Ukraine with 14 ballistic missiles and 250 Shahed drones overnight yesterday. Ukrainian forces shot down six missiles and neutralized 245 drones — 128 drones were shot down and 117 were thwarted using electronic warfare.
On Sunday, May 25 Keith Kellogg shared a photo of Ukraine’s capital following an aerial attack on X, formerly known as Twitter. He said: “This is Kyiv. The indiscriminate killing of women and children at night in their homes is a clear violation of the 1977 Geneva Peace Protocols designed to protect innocents. These attacks are shameful. Stop the killing. Ceasefire now.”
Assistant to the President and Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg was slected in November 2024 and has been notably more supportive of Ukraine than other Trump-aligned foreign policy experts.
General Kellogg’s statement follows Volodymyr Zelensky’s condemnation of the United States’ silence after at least 12 people, including three children, were killed in an attack on Ukraine. Ukraine’s president said: “The silence of America, the silence of others in the world only encourages Putin.”
He took to X to explain the dire situation in Ukraine following the Russian attack. He wrote: “Today, rescuers have been working in more than 30 Ukrainian cities and villages following Russia’s massive strike. Wherever necessary, work continues – our emergency services are on the ground, providing assistance and supporting people. Thank you. Nearly 300 attack drones were launched by Russians overnight, most of them Shaheds.
“In addition, almost 70 missiles of various types were fired, including ballistic ones. The targets were Kyiv and the region, as well as Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil, Chernihiv, Sumy, Odesa, Poltava, Dnipro, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv and Cherkasy regions. These were deliberate strikes on ordinary cities. Ordinary residential buildings were destroyed and damaged.
“In Kyiv, dormitories of the university’s history department were hit. There were also strikes on enterprises. Tragically, people were killed, including children. My condolences. Each such terrorist Russian strike is a sufficient reason for new sanctions against Russia. Russia is dragging out this war and continues to kill every day.
“The world may go on a weekend break, but the war continues, regardless of weekends and weekdays. This cannot be ignored. Silence of America, silence of others around the world only encourage Putin. Without truly strong pressure on the Russian leadership, this brutality cannot be stopped.
“Sanctions will certainly help. Determination matters now – the determination of the United States, of European countries, and of all those around the world who seek peace. The world knows all the weaknesses of the Russian economy. The war can be stopped, but only through the necessary force of pressure on Russia. Putin must be forced to think not about launching missiles, but about ending the war.”