Russia Launches Massive Overnight Assaults Despite Trump’s 50-Day Peace Ultimatum
Undeterred by former President Donald Trump’s 50-day ultimatum for peace, Russia unleashed a sweeping wave of attacks across six Ukrainian regions overnight, Ukrainian officials reported Wednesday.
The barrage — involving hundreds of drones and missiles — left at least two people dead, including a child, and injured 25 others. The strikes hit targets in northern, central, and southern Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s air force and data from regional military administrations.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X that the large-scale, long-range strikes were aimed at energy infrastructure. DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy provider, said roughly 80,000 households in the Dnipropetrovsk region — including Zelenskyy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih — lost power as a result of the attacks.
The escalation came just hours after reports surfaced that Trump had urged Zelenskyy to avoid targeting Moscow. According to the Financial Times, which cited two unnamed sources familiar with the call, Trump also suggested Ukraine intensify its operations deeper inside Russia. NBC News has not independently verified the report, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later clarified that Trump “was merely asking a question, not encouraging further killing.”
Trump, who has previously praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and criticized Zelenskyy, recently issued a 50-day deadline for a peace deal with Moscow. During a meeting Monday with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Trump also announced plans to impose 100% tariffs on nations purchasing Russian goods. At the same time, he said the U.S. would sell advanced weapons — including the sought-after Patriot air defense systems — to NATO allies for use in Ukraine.
By Wednesday, Trump claimed the U.S. had already shipped some of the missile systems. “They’re coming in from Germany,” he said, adding that NATO allies would “pay us back for everything.”
However, Trump’s 50-day proposal has faced skepticism from European officials and analysts, who question the wisdom of giving Putin additional time despite his clear intentions to dominate Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russian attacks showed no signs of slowing. Ukraine’s air force said Moscow launched approximately 400 drones and at least one Iskander ballistic missile in the latest overnight barrage.
“Russia hasn’t changed its strategy,” Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post Wednesday, following a strike in his hometown the day before. “To effectively counter this terror, we need systematic improvements in our defenses: more aircraft, more interceptors, and more determination to ensure Russia feels the consequences.”
Ivan Samoilov / AFP – Getty Images
Kremlin officials appeared largely dismissive of Donald Trump’s 50-day call for a ceasefire. On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova downplayed Washington’s role in arming Ukraine, arguing that the United States was not truly providing support if the financial burden fell on the European Union.
“If you claim to be supplying weapons, but someone else is footing the bill, then you’re not really the one providing them, are you?” Zakharova told reporters.
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