"War goes on regardless of weekends," Zelenskyy blasts US silence after massive strike

On 25 May, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy harshly condemned the overnight Russian attack that struck more than 10 regions of Ukraine. He accused the world of silence, which, he said, only encourages Putin to commit further crimes.

This comes as US President Donald Trump pushes for talks between Kyiv and Moscow, allegedly to end the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. While Trump has not approved any new sanctions against Russia since taking office in January, Russia continues its deliberate daily air attacks on residential areas and civilian infrastructure, particularly targeting energy infrastructure and apartment buildings, aiming to disrupt civilian life.

During the 24-25 May night assault, Russia launched 14 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles and deployed 250 Shahed drones and decoys.

“Today, rescue workers were active in over 30 Ukrainian towns and villages following the massive Russian strike,” Zelenskyy said.

Nearly 300 strike drones were launched by Russia overnight — most of them Shaheds. Almost 70 missiles of various types, including ballistic ones, were also used, the Ukrainian leader reported.

According to him, the targets included Kyiv and the surrounding region, as well as Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil, Chernihiv, Sumy, Odesa, Poltava, Dnipro, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, and Cherkasy oblasts.

“Residential buildings were destroyed and damaged. In Kyiv, university dormitories belonging to the faculty of history were hit. There were also strikes on industrial facilities. Tragically, there are fatalities, including children. My condolences,” he wrote on social media.

Zelenskyy emphasized that Russia is dragging out this war and continues killing every day.

“The world may go on a weekend, but the war goes on — regardless of weekdays or holidays. This cannot be ignored. America’s silence, the silence of others around the world, only emboldens Putin. He must be forced to think not about launching missiles, but about ending the war,” the Ukrainian president said.

He called for new sanctions against Russia and stressed that this brutality cannot be stopped without truly strong pressure on the Russian leadership.

“Sanctions will absolutely help. Determination matters now—the determination of the US, of European countries, of all those in the world who seek peace,” he added.

The Russian attack killed 12 people and injured more than 50 civilians.

Read also

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this. We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!