Kiev woke up to a blanket of smoke on Friday after a night of intense Russian airstrikes. A barrage of drones targeted the Ukrainian capital, injuring at least 23 people, damaging rail infrastructure and setting buildings and vehicles on fire around the city.
The airstrike alert lasted for more than 8 hours overnight, as Moscow launched a record 550 drones and 11 missiles into Ukrainian territory, with over 70 of them penetrating defense systems. Damage was reported in 6 of Kiev's 10 districts on both sides of the Dnipro River, and drone debris set fire to a medical facility.
The strikes were the latest in a series of airstrikes on Kiev that have intensified in recent weeks, including some of the bloodiest since the war began. They came after US President Donald Trump said he was disappointed in a phone call he had with the Kremlin chief on Thursday, saying Putin was not ready to end the war in Ukraine.
The Kremlin, for its part, reiterated that Moscow would continue to work to resolve the roots of the conflict, as it described them.
" I'm very disappointed with the conversation I had with Putin today because I don't think he's where he should be. I'm very disappointed, really. I'm saying I don't think he wants to stop, and that's a bad thing. "
The Ukrainian foreign minister strongly condemned the latest attacks, in what he called one of the capital's worst nights, and demanded that Moscow be dealt a severe blow, with the harshest sanctions.
A decision by Washington earlier this week to cut off some critical arms supplies to Ukraine prompted warnings from Kiev that the move would weaken its ability to defend against intensified air strikes and advances on the battlefield. (A2 Televizion)
A2 CNN Livestream
MUND TE LEXONI GJITHASHTU
