Russia launches 149 drones at Ukraine, killing 4, as Trump questions Putin’s peace intentions

These assaults followed reports from Russia claiming it had regained control over parts of the Kursk region, which Ukrainian forces had seized in a surprise attack last August. However, Ukrainian officials said fighting in Kursk was still ongoing.

Trump expressed fresh scepticism on Saturday about the chances for peace. “I don’t think Putin wants to end the war,” Trump said, adding that there was “no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas” in recent days. He also hinted at possible further sanctions against Russia, reported by Associated Press (AP).

The remark came after Trump met briefly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican during Pope Francis’ funeral. It was their first face-to-face meeting since a heated argument in the White House in February.

In the latest wave of attacks, Russia launched 149 drones, including decoys, with Ukraine’s air force reporting the interception of 57 and the jamming of another 67. The strikes caused injuries elsewhere too, including one person hurt in the Odesa region and another in Zhytomyr. In Kherson, four people were wounded in a Russian airstrike, local officials said.

Russia’s Defence Ministry reported shooting down five Ukrainian drones in the Bryansk region near the border and three more over Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. In addition, five people were injured when Ukrainian forces shelled the city of Horlivka in the partially occupied Donetsk region, according to the city’s Russian-installed mayor Ivan Prikhodko.