12 civilians dead, including children, after Russia’s largest air assault on Ukraine in three years
By Solomon Alaka | Updated May 26, 2025
President Donald Trump on Sunday strongly condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin following a devastating wave of Russian missile and drone attacks across Ukraine — the largest aerial assault of the war to date.
“I’m not happy with what Putin is doing,” Trump told reporters in New Jersey. “He’s killing a lot of people, and I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin.”
Trump’s comments came just hours after at least 12 people, including three children, were confirmed dead in overnight attacks on multiple Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv and Zhytomyr. Dozens more were wounded.
“We’re in the middle of talking…”
President Trump revealed that the strikes came as he was engaging both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in ceasefire talks.
“We’re in the middle of talking, and he’s shooting rockets into Kyiv and other cities,” Trump said. “I don’t like what Putin is doing, not even a little bit. He’s killing people. And something happened to this guy, and I don’t like it.”
Last week, Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine would begin negotiations on a 30-day ceasefire, following a series of high-level calls with both leaders and key European allies.
“Conditions will be negotiated between the two parties—as it can only be—because they know the details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of,” Trump said at the time.
Sanctions Back on the Table
In light of the latest Russian escalation, Trump confirmed Sunday he is “absolutely” considering additional sanctions against Moscow — a move long requested by Zelensky and supported by members of Congress.
“America’s silence, and the silence of others in the world, only encourages Putin,” Zelensky said in a statement Sunday.
The attacks killed several civilians in residential areas, including three children from the same family in Zhytomyr. According to Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, the children’s parents remain hospitalized, with their mother in critical condition.
Shift in Tone Toward Putin
Trump’s remarks signal a marked shift in tone from his past comments about Putin, whom he often described as a leader he “got along with.”
“I don’t know what the hell happened to him,” Trump said Sunday. “This isn’t the Putin I knew. Something’s changed.”
Trump’s administration has sought to position the U.S. as a neutral mediator in the conflict, emphasizing direct dialogue and negotiated outcomes. However, the scale of Russia’s latest strikes threatens to derail those efforts.
What’s Next?
With casualties mounting and ceasefire negotiations in question, the international community is watching closely to see whether Trump will respond with tougher economic measures or press further for diplomatic engagement.
For now, the toll is grim: dozens of injured, 12 dead — and growing doubts about whether peace is within reach.
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