Russia Accuses Ukraine of Escalating Air Attacks

U.S.-led efforts to force peace negotiations between the neighbors have failed to reach a breakthrough and left President Donald Trump frustrated with both sides.

On May 26, Moscow launched the biggest air attack on Ukraine since the start of its 2022 full-scale offensive.

"Kiev, with the support of some European countries, has taken a series of provocative steps to thwart negotiations initiated by Russia," Moscow's Defense Ministry said, adding that the Russian army was striking Ukraine "in response to mass Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian regions."

Moscow said it was hitting "only military targets" in Ukraine but it launched an attack on May 25 that killed 13 civilians, including three children from the same family, in Ukraine's central city of Zhytomyr.

Moscow said it had launched the attacks after Ukraine sent 1,465 drones into Russia since May 20.

It said Russian civilians, "including women and children," were wounded in the Ukrainian attacks, and warned that it would continue strikes "in response to any terrorist attacks or provocations by Kiev."

After the massive attacks on Ukraine, Trump said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had gone "crazy," in rare criticism of the Kremlin chief.

The Kremlin Tuesday that Trump's criticism of Putin will not affect plans for a U.S.-Russia prisoner exchange that the two presidents agreed in a call last week.

"It is clear that the Russian and American sides should not and cannot agree on everything," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding: "But there is political will to implement the agreements that have been reached, and the work continues."

Source: Reuters