Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy yesterday called for more sanctions against Russia as overnight strikes killed at least 14 people and wounded dozens more, days ahead of talks between US and Ukrainian negotiators aimed at securing a truce.
A Russian assault hit the center of Dobropillia in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region late on Friday, killing 11 people and wounding 30, emergency services said.
Separately, three people were killed and seven were wounded in a drone attack early yesterday in Bogodukhiv, Kharkiv Governor Oleg Synegubov said.
Photo: AFP
Russia fired two missiles and 145 drones at Bogodukhiv, the Ukrainian Air Force said.
The overnight air raids came after US President Donald Trump threatened new sanctions and tariffs on Russia, but said it might be “easier” to work with Moscow than Kyiv on efforts to end the three-year-long war.
“Such strikes show that Russia’s goals are unchanged. Therefore, it is very important to continue to do everything to protect life, strengthen our air defence, and increase sanctions against Russia,” Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram.
In Dobropillia, there were charred residential buildings, flattened market stalls and evidence of cluster bomb damage.
Irina Kostenko, 59, spent the night cowering in her hallway with her husband. When she left the apartment building yesterday, she saw a neighbor “lying dead on the ground, covered with a blanket.”
“It was shocking, I don’t have the words to describe it,” Kostenko said.
Zelenskiy said that Russia had struck Dobropillia, waited until rescuers arrived and then “deliberately” targeted them as well.
“This is a despicable and inhumane tactic of intimidation that the Russians often use,” he said.
US and Ukrainian negotiators are due to meet in Saudi Arabia next week with bilateral relations frayed.
Trump publicly berated Zelenskiy during a White House meeting and suspended US aid to Kyiv in a stated bid to encourage diplomacy.
“I’m finding it more difficult frankly to deal with Ukraine and they don’t have the cards,” Trump said on Friday. “It may be easier dealing with Russia.”
The remarks followed Trump on Friday threatening new sanctions and tariffs on Russia over its bombardments of Ukraine.
“To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late,” he added.
Zelenskiy is due to land in Saudi Arabia tomorrow for talks with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.
The meeting is a day before Ukrainian officials are expected to hold fresh talks with their US counterparts there.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said its air defense systems destroyed 31 Ukrainian drones over the past night.
NETWORK-MAPPING PROJECT: The database contains 170 detailed files of Taiwanese politicians and about 23 million records of household registration data in Taiwan China has developed a network-mapping project targeting political figures and parties in Taiwan to monitor public opinion during elections and to craft tailored influence campaigns aimed at dividing Taiwanese society, according to documents leaked by Chinese technology firm GoLaxy (中科天璣). The documents, collected by Taipei-based Doublethink Lab, showed a database was specifically created to gather detailed information on Taiwanese political figures, including their political affiliations, job histories, birthplaces, residences, education, religion and a brief biography about them. Several notable Taiwanese politicians are in the database, including President William Lai (賴清德), former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍),
RECOGNITION: Former Fijian prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry said that Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy serves as a stabilizing force in the Indo-Pacific region Taiwan can lead the unification of the Chinese people, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former Polish president Lech Walesa said in Taipei yesterday, adding that as the world order is changing, peaceful discussion would find good solutions, and that the use of force and coercion would always fail. Walesa made the remarks during his keynote address at a luncheon of the Yushan Forum in Taipei, titled “Indo-Pacific Partnership Prospects: Taiwan’s Values, Technology and Resilience,” organized by the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Walesa said that he had been at the forefront of a big peaceful revolution and “if
UPGRADED MISSILE: The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology is reportedly to conduct a live-fire test of the Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missile on Thursday next week The US Army is planning to build new facilities to boost explosives production and strengthen its supply chain, a move aimed at addressing munitions shortages and supporting obligations to partners including Taiwan, Ukraine and Israel, Defense News reported. The army has issued a sources sought notice for a proposed Center of Excellence at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky, the report said. The facility would serve as a hub within the US industrial base for the production of key military explosives, including research department explosives (RDX) and high melting explosives (HMX), while also supporting research and development of next-generation materials. The proposed
SOUTH KOREA DISPUTE: If Seoul continues to ignore its request, Taiwan would change South Korea’s designation on its arrival cards, the foreign ministry said If South Korea does not reply appropriately to a request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, the government would take corresponding measures to change how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. Taipei has asked Seoul to change the wording. Since March 1, South Koreans who hold government-issued Alien Resident Certificates (ARC) have been identified as from “South Korea” rather than the “Republic of Korea,” the
RSS