Ukrainian officials reported that at least four people died and over two dozen were injured, including a baby and a 14-year-old, in Saturday’s drone, missile, and bomb attacks by Russia.

Early Saturday, Russia launched 215 missiles and drones on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, resulting in three deaths and over 40 injuries, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Later that day, Russian bombs struck Kharkiv’s city center, causing at least one additional death and five injuries.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on Saturday that Russia seeks “the complete destruction of life.”

Zelenskyy added that in “more than 11 years of Russia’s war against Ukraine, they have brought only one new thing to our land, the most widespread Russian ‘legacy,’ ruins and death,” and urged continued resistance. He thanked international supporters, stating that Russia is preparing to continue the war and ignoring peace proposals, thus needing to be held accountable.

Zelenskyy affirmed Ukraine’s commitment to strengthening its air defense, emphasizing the urgent need for “positive signals from the United States regarding air defense systems” and a response to their purchase request.

He also expressed gratitude to other European nations for providing supplies.

He further stated the need to “achieve results in joint production of air defense systems and missiles,” deeming it “absolutely essential for our whole Europe” and emphasizing that “only time separates us from that result, and what matters most is shortening that time.”

In a post on X accompanied by graphic photos of some of the injured, Zelenskyy described the attack as “another savage killing,” highlighting the “Aerial bombs were dropped on civilians in the city — there is even a children’s railway nearby. This makes no military sense.”

He denounced the attack as “pure terrorism” that has persisted for “more than three years of the full-scale war” and insisted it “cannot be ignored” or “turned a blind eye to.” He asserted that “Every day, we lose our people only because Russia feels it can act with impunity” and demanded Russia “be firmly forced into peace.”

Last Sunday, Ukraine claimed responsibility for an attack on Russian territory that destroyed 40 Russian planes.

In his nightly address, Zelenskyy stated that 117 drones were used in the operation, which he claimed was directed from an office adjacent to the local FSB, the Russian intelligence agency.

On Friday, Ukrainian officials reported that another Russian drone attack on six Ukrainian territories resulted in six deaths, including a baby, and 80 injuries.

The attack followed a call between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which Putin indicated his intention to retaliate.

Trump commented on the attacks Friday, telling reporters on Air Force One that “Well, they gave Putin a reason to go in and bomb the hell out of them last night. … When I saw it, I said, ‘Here we go, now it’s going to be a strike.’”

On Thursday, Trump also compared the war to children’s fighting.

“Sometimes you see two young children fighting like crazy. They hate each other, and they’re fighting in a park, and you try and pull them apart, they don’t want to be pulled,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “Sometimes you’re better off letting them fight for a while and then pulling them apart.”

Ukraine and Russia have conducted two rounds of peace negotiations so far, yielding minimal concrete progress.

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