Kiev has declared April 25 a day of mourning for the 12 people killed in a Russian missile and drone attack that hit the Ukrainian capital on Thursday morning, prompting US President Donald Trump to issue a rare criticism of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and Ukrainian diplomatic missions abroad will join Kyiv in mourning the victims of the attack by lowering flags to half-mast, the Foreign Ministry announced on April 24.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that while the citizens of Kiev mourn the victims and clear the rubble, Ukrainian intelligence services are checking all the details, including whether some of the missiles used were manufactured in North Korea.
If confirmed, Zelensky said it would be further evidence of the "criminality of the alliance" between Moscow and Pyongyang.
"They kill people and make fun of life together - that's the only meaning of their cooperation," Zelensky said.
According to Zelensky, in exchange for assistance, Pyongyang gets the opportunity to "make its weapons more deadly" in real war conditions.
"We need to really put pressure on Russia to stop this," he said. "Even in the midst of international diplomatic efforts to stop this war, Russia continues to kill civilians. That means Putin is not afraid."
Trump, who has been reluctant to criticize Russia, condemned the attack in a social media post addressed to Putin.
"I am not happy with the Russian attacks on Kiev," he wrote. "They are unnecessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, stop it! 5.000 soldiers are dying a week. Let's finish the peace agreement!"
Zelensky, who cut short a visit to South Africa because of the attack, reiterated his call for a complete cessation of airstrikes and said Ukraine needed to strengthen its air shield to guarantee the safety of its people.
Zelensky said early on April 25 that Russian forces had tried to use airstrikes as cover for increased ground attacks, but they were repulsed.
"The Russians actually tried, under the cover of their massive air strikes, to carry out ground attacks," Zelensky said on Telegram, citing a report by Supreme Commander Oleksandr Syrsky.
"When our forces were maximally concentrated on defense against missiles and drones, the Russians launched intensified ground attacks. But they were repelled in a dignified manner."
While Kiev bore the brunt of the massive attack -- authorities said 90 people were injured in the city in addition to 12 killed -- the regions of Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Poltava, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy and Zaporozhye were also hit.
Ukrainian law enforcement authorities said at least 25 apartment buildings were seriously damaged in Kiev, and public institutions, including a kindergarten and a school, were also hit by airstrikes.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with the American television network CBS that Russia is only targeting Ukrainian military or civilian sites used by the military. Asked whether the attack was intentional, Lavrov said that the defense minister and commanders on the ground have the right to attack targets used by the Ukrainian military.
Western efforts to resolve the war in Ukraine, or even secure a temporary ceasefire, have stalled as Russia shows no sign of easing its onslaught, while Ukraine rejects U.S. overtures. The Kremlin is reportedly seeking a peace deal that would allow Russia to retain control of Crimea, as well as Ukrainian territories in the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions it has seized since the invasion began in February 2022.
Zelensky has repeatedly said that recognizing the occupied territory as Russian is unacceptable for Ukraine. He noted on April 24 that Ukraine had agreed to a US ceasefire proposal 44 days ago as a first step towards peace talks, but that Moscow's attacks continue.
When asked what Putin is doing now to help reach a peace deal, Trump said he is refraining from "conquering the whole country," calling it "a pretty big concession."
Commenting on the diplomatic efforts, Lavrov told CBS News that the United States and Russia were moving in the right direction, but that some specific elements of the agreement still needed to be agreed upon.
"The President of the United States believes -- and I think he's right -- that we're going in the right direction. The statement (by Trump) mentions an agreement, and we're ready to reach an agreement, but there are still some specific ... elements of this agreement that need to be worked out, and we're engaged in that very process."
Trump did not outline the elements of the agreement, so Lavrov said it would not be appropriate for him to do so.
"We are continuing our contacts with the American side on the situation in Ukraine, there are several signs that we are going in the right direction," Lavrov said.
Speaking at the White House after meeting with Trump, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said it was time for Russia to move forward in negotiations about the war.
"There is something on the table now, I think, where the Ukrainians are really in the game," Rute said. "And I think the ball is clearly in Russia's court now."
With reporting by Reuters, AP and CBS
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