Zelenskyy Calls Massive Russian Attack On Kyiv 'Outrageous' | rssama.com

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia attacked Kyiv pinch an hourslong barrage of missiles and drones, sidesplitting astatine slightest 9 group and injuring much than 70 successful its deadliest battle connected nan Ukrainian superior since past July and conscionable arsenic bid efforts are coming to a head.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said aft nan onslaught he is cutting short his official travel to South Africa and returning location arsenic nan metropolis reeled from nan bombardment that kept residents connected separator for astir 11 hours. It appeared to beryllium Russia’s biggest onslaught connected Kyiv successful 9 months, and Zelenskyy branded it arsenic “one of (Russia’s) astir outrageous.”

Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko announced that Friday would beryllium an charismatic time of mourning time successful nan capital.

Rescue workers clear nan rubble aft a Russian onslaught successful a residential vicinity successful Kyiv, Ukraine, connected April 24, 2025.

AP Photo/Alex Babenko

The Ukrainian aerial unit said Russia fired 66 ballistic and cruise missiles, 4 plane-launched air-to-surface missiles, and 145 Shahed and decoy drones astatine Kyiv and 4 different regions of Ukraine. Rescue workers pinch flashlights scoured nan charred rubble of partially collapsed homes arsenic nan bluish lights of emergency vehicles lit up nan acheronian metropolis streets.

The onslaught came arsenic weeks of bid negotiations appeared to beryllium culminating without an statement successful show and hours aft U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out astatine Zelenskyy, accusing him of prolonging nan “killing field” by refusing to surrender nan Russia-occupied Crimea Peninsula arsenic portion of a imaginable deal.

Zelenskyy says early of negotiations depends connected Moscow

Zelenskyy has repeated galore times during nan much than three-year war that recognizing occupied territory arsenic Russian is simply a reddish statement for his country. He noted Thursday that Ukraine had agreed to a U.S. ceasefire connection 44 days ago, arsenic a first measurement to a negotiated peace, but that Russia’s attacks had continued.

He said successful South Africa that nan latest onslaught meant nan early of negotiations “depends connected Russia’s volition because it is successful Moscow wherever they person to make a decision.”

While talks person been going connected successful caller weeks, Russia has hit nan metropolis of Sumy, sidesplitting much than 30 civilians gathered to observe Palm Sunday, battered Odesa pinch drones and blasted Zaporizhzhia pinch powerful glide bombs.

The European Union’s overseas argumentation chief, Kaja Kallas, said nan onslaught underscored that nan main obstacle to ending nan warfare is Russia.

“While claiming to activity peace, Russia launched a deadly airstrike connected Kyiv,” she wrote connected societal media. “This isn’t a pursuit of peace, it’s a insult of it.”

Senior U.S. officials person warned that nan Trump management could soon springiness up its efforts to extremity nan warfare if nan 2 sides don’t compromise.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said nan onslaught showed Russian President Vladimir Putin is wished to property his bigger army’s advantage connected nan astir 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) beforehand line, wherever it presently holds nan momentum.

“Putin demonstrates done his actions, not words, that he does not respect immoderate bid efforts and only wants to proceed nan war,” Sybiha said connected X. “Weakness and concessions will not extremity his panic and aggression. Only spot and unit will.”

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal noted that since Russia’s February 2022 full-scale penetration of its neighbor, Russian attacks haves killed immoderate 13,000 civilians, including 618 children.

Kyiv residents spent nan nighttime successful shelters

At slightest 42 group were hospitalized pursuing nan onslaught connected residential suburbs of Kyiv, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said.

A female sits successful a schoolhouse basement being utilized arsenic a shelter aft a Russian airstrike connected a residential vicinity successful Kyiv, Ukraine, connected April 24, 2025.

AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka

At a Kyiv residential building that was almost wholly destroyed, emergency workers removed rubble pinch their hands, rescuing a trapped female who emerged from nan wreckage covered successful achromatic particulate and moaning successful pain.

An aged female sat against a ceramic wall, look smeared pinch blood, her eyes fixed to nan crushed successful daze arsenic medics tended to her wounds.

Fires were reported successful respective residential buildings said Tymur Tkachenko, nan caput of nan metropolis subject administration.

The attack, which began astir 1 a.m., deed astatine slightest 5 neighborhoods successful Kyiv.

Rescue workers transportation nan assemblage of a unfortunate recovered nether nan rubble aft a Russian onslaught successful a residential vicinity successful Kyiv, Ukraine, connected April 24, 2025.

AP Photo/Alex Babenko

Oksana Bilozir, a student, suffered a caput wounded successful nan attack. With humor seeping from her bandaged head, she said that she heard a large detonation aft nan aerial siren blared and began to drawback her things to fly to a shelter erstwhile different blast caused her home’s walls to crumble and nan lights to spell off.

“I honestly don’t moreover cognize really this will each end, it’s very scary,” said Bilozir, referring to nan warfare against Russia’s invasion. “I only judge that if we tin extremity them connected nan battlefield, past that’s it. No diplomacy useful here.”

The onslaught kept galore group awake each nighttime agelong arsenic aggregate large explosions reverberated astir nan metropolis and flashes of ray punctuated nan sky. Families gathered successful nationalist aerial ambush shelters, immoderate of them bringing their pet feline and dog.

Zelenskyy returning from South Africa

Zelenskyy said successful a Telegram station that he would alert backmost to Kyiv aft gathering pinch South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The Ukrainian leader had hoped to enlistee further South African support successful efforts to extremity his country’s warfare pinch Russia, now successful its 4th year.

The U.N. Office for nan Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said nan Kyiv onslaught was “yet different appalling usurpation of world humanitarian law.”

“Civilians must ne'er beryllium targets. This senseless usage of unit must stop,” it said successful a statement.

Anastasiia Zhuravlova, 33, a mother of two, was sheltering successful a basement aft aggregate blasts damaged her home. Her family was sleeping erstwhile nan first detonation shattered their windows and sent room appliances flying successful nan air. Shards of solid rained down connected them arsenic they rushed to return screen successful nan corridor.

“After that we came to nan shelter because it was scary and vulnerable astatine home,” she said.

In Kyiv’s Sviatoshynskyi district, nan onslaught flattened a two-story residential building and heavy damaged adjacent multi-story buildings. Rescue activity continued done nan morning.

At a adjacent school-turned-relief center, children helped parents screen blown-out windows pinch integrative while others queued for authorities compensation. Many stood successful blood-stained clothes, still shaken.

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Associated Press journalist Michelle Gumede successful Pretoria, South Africa contributed to this report.

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