Trump blames Zelensky again for war while Kyiv launches major drone strike on Kursk

Kyiv forces launched a major drone attack on Russia’s Kursk region that borders Ukraine this morning, Russian authorities said.

At least 109 drones were downed over the Kursk region, the Russian ministry of defence said.

The attack killed an elderly woman, injuring nine people and sparking fries in several buildings in the region’s administrative centre, Russian authorities said this morning.

“Kursk has been subjected to a massive enemy attack overnight,” the Kursk region administration said on the Telegram channel.

“Unfortunately, an 85-year-old woman died,” it said.

A multi-storey apartment building was damaged in result of the drone attack, with several flats catching fire, acting mayor of Kursk, Sergei Kotlyarov said on Telegram. Residents have been evacuated to a nearby school, he added.

The region’s administration posted photos of a multi-storey apartment building with blown out windows and fire damage to the facade. Drones also hit also an ambulance garage, damaging 11 cars, it said.

The two captured Chinese soldiers now being held as prisoners of war in Ukraine have detailed their participating in the military operations and said that the Russians have lied to them.

Wang Guangjun, 34, and Zhang Renbo, 27, were confirmed to be in Ukraine’s custody earlier this month by president Volodymyr Zelensky.

“For those (Chinese) citizens who want to take part in the war, we want to say that they should not do so,” Mr Wang said at a press conference in Kyiv yesterday.

“Since everything we heard from the Russians was a lie. It turned out that Russia is not that strong, and Ukraine is not that weak. That’s why it’s better not to participate in wars at all,” he said.

The other soldier, Zhang, said he came to Russia in December and was first offered a job in construction but later taken in for military service.

“I wanted to make money, but I did not expect to end up in the war,” he said.

The two said they have no connection to the Chinese government and that they signed a contract with the Russian army of their own free will.

Russian air defence units intercepted and destroyed 115 Ukrainian drones overnight, RIA news agency reported this morning, citing Russia’s defence ministry.

Of these, at least 109 were shot down over Kursk and one was shot down over Moscow, the defence ministry said.

Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski has said he hoped the US president Donald Trump and his administration would see that Vladimir Putin was “mocking their goodwill” following Moscow’s deadly missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy.

“Ukraine unconditionally agreed to a ceasefire over a month ago. The heinous attacks on Kryvyi Rih and on Sumy is Russia’s mocking answer,” Mr Sikorski said on arrival at a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

“I hope that president Trump and the US administration see that the leader of Russia is mocking their goodwill and I hope the right decisions are taken,” he said.

For a showman given to overarching high-wire performances in every theatre at home and abroad, Donald Trump’s recent criticisms of Russia have been distinctly mumbled – showing he doesn’t have the courage of his lack of conviction.

In his latest utterance, he appeared to be speaking on behalf of the Kremlin for the killing of 34 people, including two children, in a double missile strike on Sumy city, on Ukraine’s northern border with Russia.

“I was told they made a mistake,” he said.

One can only guess whether he made this claim after talking with Vladimir Putin’s officials. It seems more likely that he came up with the line to avoid further global condemnation of Russia for another war crime.

A Chinese national fighting in Ukraine alongside Russian forces has said Russia’s army took his conscription money and he never got to use the pay.

Zhang Renbo, captured in Donetsk region by Ukrainian Defense Forces, said that the bank card, on which he was receiving his military fee from the Russian army contract, was only used by Russian soldiers.

“I received a card with a deposit of 200,000 rubles (£1842), but I couldn’t use it. In fact, the money, along with the phone that had the app linked to the card, was periodically taken by Russians and spent under the pretense of fuel expenses or chargers. So I was unable to use that money myself,” Zhang said at a press conference with Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform.

A Ukrainian overnight drone attack killed an 85-year-old woman, injured nine people and sparked fires in several buildings in the Russian city of Kursk near the border with Ukraine, regional officials said this morning.

More than 20 blasts shook the Russian territory, according to preliminary reports from Russia’s Telegram channels Baza and SHOT, who cited sources in the security services and law enforcment.

“Kursk has been subjected to a massive enemy attack overnight,” the Kursk region administration said on its Telegram channel.

A multi-storey apartment building was damaged in result of the drone attack, with several flats catching fire, acting mayor of Kursk, Sergei Kotlyarov said on Telegram.

Residents have been evacuated to a nearby school, he added.

Drones also hit also an ambulance garage, damaging 11 cars, the region’s administration said.

A series of blasts shook the Russian city of Kursk near the border with Ukraine early this morning, reported Baza and SHOT Telegram channels, which often publish information from sources in the security services and law enforcement.

According to the preliminary reports, residential buildings have been damaged in the region facing Ukrainian incursion. Photos shared by the Telegram channels showed what looked like a multi-storey residential building on fire at night.

US President Donald Trump has defended Russia’s “terrible” missile attack on Sumy as a “mistake”.

“I think it was terrible and I was told they made a mistake, but I think it’s a horrible thing. I think the whole war is a horrible thing,” he told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday evening.

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Trump to visit the country and see the devastation for himself.