Ukraine says Russian strikes kill at least 25

At least 25 people have died in Ukraine in the latest wave of Russian strikes, Ukrainian officials say, as the conflict shows no sign of easing.

One attack on Donetsk Region killed least 11 people and wounded 40, including six children, local officials said on Saturday. Homes and infrastructure were hit in other regions, including Kharkiv and Odesa.

Russian attacks have intensified in recent days, as the US paused military aid and intelligence-sharing with Kyiv. It followed last week’s Oval Office clash between President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky.

After the latest Russian strikes, Polish PM Donald Tusk said: “This is what happens when someone appeases barbarians.”

“More bombs, more aggression, more victims,” he added in a social media post.

The deadliest strikes occurred late on Friday in the Donetsk Region town of Dobropillya. At least 11 people were killed when two ballistic missiles hit eight residential buildings and a shopping centre, officials said.

After emergency services arrived, Russia launched another strike “deliberately targeting the rescuers”, Zelensky said in a Telegram post. “Such strikes show that Russia’s goals are unchanged,” he added.

Other attacks in the region killed nine people and wounded 13 on Friday and Saturday, local officials said.

Drones struck a company in Bohodukhiv, Kharkiv Region, killing three people and injuring seven early on Saturday, regional head Oleh Synyehubov reported.

Another drone attack on Friday hit civilian and energy infrastructure in Odesa, the regional head said. “This is the seventh attack on the region’s energy system in three weeks,” the DTEK energy company said.

Meanwhile Ukraine has continued to target Russia, whose defence ministry said its forces had intercepted 31 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Late on Friday, Trump has said he was finding it “more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine” than Russia in attempts to broker peace between the two nations.

The US is “doing very well with Russia”, and “it may be easier dealing with” Moscow than Kyiv, he told reporters.

Hours earlier, Trump had said he was “strongly considering” large-scale sanctions and tariffs on Russia until a ceasefire with Ukraine was reached.

In addition to halting military and intelligence help, the US suspended Ukraine’s access to some satellite imagery, space technology company Maxar said on Friday.

The move came exactly a week after the extraordinary exchange at the White House, in which Trump berated Zelensky for being “disrespectful” to the US.

The Trump administration’s overtures to Putin have left many in Europe concerned that the continent will not be able to rely on US support for its security.

On Thursday EU leaders met in Brussels to approve plans to spend more on defence and renew the bloc’s support for Ukraine.

Next week Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is due to hold talks with Ukrainian negotiators in Saudi Arabia to discuss the possibility of a ceasefire with Russia.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, and now controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory.