LONDON — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned in a single day missile and drone assaults launched by Russia confirmed that Moscow’s claimed assist for a ceasefire in Ukraine just isn’t “actual.”
Ukrainian authorities reported airstrikes in a number of areas of the nation, together with a drone assault on a hospital within the northeastern metropolis of Sumy. The barrage got here hours after Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin agreed to a halt in assaults on power infrastructure as a part of the White Home’s peace efforts.
“Now in lots of areas you may actually hear what Russia actually wants,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. “About 40 Shaheds in our sky, air protection is working,” the president added, referring to the Iranian-designed strike drone utilized by Russia.
“Sadly, there are hits, and exactly in civilian infrastructure,” Zelenskyy continued. “It’s exactly such night time assaults by Russia that destroy our power, our infrastructure, the traditional lifetime of Ukrainians. And the truth that this night time was no exception exhibits that we should proceed to place stress on Russia for the sake of peace.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Mar. 18, 2025, President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky within the Oval Workplace of the White Home, Feb. 28, 2025.
AFP by way of Getty Photos
Ukraine’s air drive reported a complete of six missiles and 145 drones fired into the nation in a single day. Seventy-two drones had been shot down, the air drive mentioned, with one other 56 misplaced in flight with out inflicting injury. The Sumy, Odesa, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv and Chernihiv areas had been affected by the assault, the air drive wrote on Telegram.
“As we speak, Putin truly rejected the proposal for a whole ceasefire,” Zelenskyy mentioned. “It will be proper for the world to reject any makes an attempt by Putin to pull out the struggle in response.”
“Sanctions towards Russia. Support to Ukraine. Strengthening allies within the free world and dealing in the direction of safety ensures,” the president added. “And solely an actual cessation by Russia of assaults on civilian infrastructure as proof of a need to finish this struggle can carry peace nearer.”
The Kremlin mentioned Tuesday that the decision between Trump and Putin was a “detailed and frank trade of views.” Putin didn’t comply with the complete 30-day ceasefire proposed by the U.S. and Ukraine, the Kremlin assertion mentioned, with the Russian chief once more framing any pause within the combating as useful to Ukraine’s armed forces.
The 2 sides did comply with a ceasefire on power infrastructure assaults, the Kremlin mentioned, after which Putin “instantly gave the related order to the Russian troops.”
Ukrainian forces use searchlights as they seek for drones within the sky over Kyiv throughout a Russian drone strike on March 18, 2025.
Gleb Garanich/Reuters
Hours later, Russian authorities reported a drone assault on an oil depot facility in southern Krasnodar area.
“As a consequence of falling particles there was a hearth on the oil depot,” the native administration mentioned in an announcement posted to Telegram. “The pipeline between the tanks was broken.”
Native authorities reported no casualties, although added that 30 staff had been evacuated from the world and operations suspended.
The area’s Operational Headquarters Telegram channel mentioned the fireplace on the depot unfold to greater than 18,000 sq. ft in measurement by way of a leak in a tank. “Emergency companies are retaining the scenario underneath management,” it mentioned, noting that “179 folks and 54 items of apparatus are concerned in extinguishing the fireplace.”
The Russian Protection Ministry mentioned its forces shot down 57 Ukrainian drones in a single day.
The Russian federal air transport company Rosaviatsia mentioned operations had been briefly suspended at airports within the cities of Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod and Nizhnekamsk, although didn’t specify the explanation. Flights at Russian airports are commonly disrupted throughout drone assaults.
Ukrainian cops, specialists and rescuers collect particles of a downed drone on the outskirts of Kyiv on March 18, 2025.
Genya Savilov/AFP by way of Getty Photos
The White Home mentioned on Tuesday after the decision between Trump and Putin that the 2 leaders “agreed that the motion to peace will start with an power and infrastructure ceasefire, in addition to technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire within the Black Sea, full ceasefire and everlasting peace. These negotiations will start instantly within the Center East.”
Trump, in his personal social media submit later Tuesday, referred to as the hourslong dialog “superb and productive.”
“We agreed to a right away Ceasefire on all Vitality and Infrastructure, with an understanding that we’ll be working rapidly to have a Full Ceasefire and, finally, an END to this very horrible Warfare between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump wrote.
Trump additionally mentioned securing the 30-day ceasefire sought by Ukraine “would have been robust,” in a launched clip of a pre-taped interview on Fox Information.
ABC Information’ Alexandra Hutzler and Oleksiy Pshemyskiy contributed to this report.
