Trump Slams ‘Crazy’ Putin As Russia Launches Deadly Drone Attack At Ukraine
US President Donald Trump called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin “crazy” on Sunday after Moscow launched a deadly barrage of drones against Ukraine, even as the warring countries completed a large-scale prisoner exchange.
At least 13 people were killed when Russia launched a record number of drones against Ukraine overnight to Sunday.
”I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“I’ve always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that’s proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!” he added.
His comments marked a rare rebuke to Putin, who he often speaks of with admiration. The US leader has, however, expressed increasing frustration with Moscow’s position in deadlocked truce negotiations with Kyiv.
Earlier on Sunday, Trump told reporters he was “not happy” about the latest attack on Ukraine and that he was “absolutely” considering increasing sanctions on Moscow.
”I’ve known him a long time, always gotten along with him, but he’s sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don’t like it at all,” he said.
- ‘Terror’ –
Ukraine’s emergency services described Sunday an atmosphere of “terror” in the country after a second straight night of massive Russian air strikes, including on the capital Kyiv.
Those killed in the latest Russian strikes included victims aged eight, 12, and 17 in the northwestern region of Zhytomyr, officials said.
”Without truly strong pressure on the Russian leadership, this brutality cannot be stopped,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media.
”The silence of America, the silence of others around the world only encourages Putin,” he said, adding: “Sanctions will certainly help.”
In his social media post, Trump also criticized Zelensky, a frequent target of his ire, accusing him of “doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does.”
”Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don’t like it, and it better stop,” he said.
The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, also called for “the strongest international pressure on Russia to stop this war.”
”Last night’s attacks again show Russia bent on more suffering and the annihilation of Ukraine,” she said on social media.
- Call For Sanctions –
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul also denounced the attacks.
“Putin does not want peace; he wants to carry on the war, and we shouldn’t allow him to do this,” he said. “For this reason, we will approve further sanctions at a European level.”
Ukraine’s military said on Sunday it had shot down a total of 45 Russian missiles and 266 attack drones overnight.
Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat said 298 drones were launched, adding that this was “the highest number ever.”
Four people were reported killed in Ukraine’s western Khmelnytskyi region, and four in the Kyiv region.
Two people were killed in the southern Mykolaiv region.
”We saw the whole street was on fire,” a 65-year-old retired woman, Tetiana Iankovska, told AFP in Markhalivka village just southwest of Kyiv.
Russia said its strikes were aimed at Ukraine’s “military-industrial complex” and that it had brought down 110 Ukrainian drones.
The previous night, Russia had launched 14 ballistic missiles and 250 drones, wounding 15 people, according to Ukrainian officials.
Flights at Moscow airports suffered temporary closures due to Ukrainian drone activity on Sunday but no injuries were reported, officials said.
Ukrainian officials also reported Russian strikes overnight to Monday, but not on the same scale.
Two people were injured, and a house was destroyed in the Zaporizhzhia region when “the enemy struck the village of Yurkivka,” Ivan Fedorov, the governor of the region, said in a Telegram post.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
