Ukraine updates: Trump says Putin is 'crazy' after strikes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of planning a "new offensive" on Monday night.

His comments come after Russia launched what Ukrainian authorities said was the "largest" drone attack on Ukrainian cities since the war began three years ago. At least 13 people were killed in the drone strikes on Sunday.

In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said the drone attacks prove that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not "seriously considering peace or diplomacy" to end the war.

"We can see from the information obtained by intelligence and from open-source data that Putin and his entourage do not plan to end the war," he said.

"On the contrary, there is ample evidence that they are preparing new offensive operations," Zelenskyy added.

The Ukrainian leader said that Russia's actions in recent days showed a "blatant disregard for all those around the world who seek peace and are trying to make diplomacy work."

This was likely a reference to US President Donald Trump.

On Sunday, a frustrated Trump said Putin was "absolutely crazy" for continuing to bomb Ukraine. "We're in the middle of talking and he's shooting rockets into Kyiv and other cities. I don't like it at all. And I'm surprised. I'm very surprised," Trump said.

The governor of Sumy said Monday that Russian forces had taken four villages in the Ukrainian region.

Sumy, which borders Russia, has frequently been targeted by Russian air strikes.

In a statement on Facebook, Sumy governor Oleh Hryhorov said Russian forces had captured the villages of Novenke, Basivka, Veselivka and Zhuravka as part of Moscow's efforts to establish a "buffer zone" on Ukrainian territory.

Hryhorov pointed out the villages' residents were evacuated long ago.

"The enemy is continuing attempts to advance with the aim of setting up a so-called 'buffer zone,'" he said.

Ukraine's forces, he added, "were keeping the situation under control, inflicting precise fire damage on the enemy."

The Sumy governor denied Russian claims that it had taken the villages Volodymyrivka and Bilovodiv, also in Sumy, saying that clashes were ongoing.

Ukraine's State Emergency Services said at least one person was killed Monday when Russia bombed an area of Sumy to the west of the captured villages.

The Sumy region is across the border from Russia's Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces launched a massive incursion in August. 

Moscow says Ukrainian forces have been pushed back from Kursk, a claim Kyiv denies.

In his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the mass Russian air attacks on Ukrainian targets were the "political choice" of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. He also called for increased pressure on Moscow.

"There is no military sense in this, but it is an obvious political choice — a choice by Putin, a choice by Russia — a choice to continue the war and destroy lives," Zelenskiy said.

Zelenskyy said the attacks — more than 900 drones as well as missiles over three nights — showed that Russia was "playing with diplomacy".

Russia, he said, "deserves full-scale pressure, everything that can be done to limit their military capability."

Russia said that any Western decision to remove range limits on weapons delivered to Ukraine would be "dangerous."

"If these decisions have indeed been made, they are completely at odds with our aspirations for a political (peace) settlement... These are quite dangerous decisions, if they have been made," AFP news agency quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, as telling Russian journalist Alexander Yunashev.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukraine’s other key Western allies, has lifted range restrictions on the weapons they send to Kyiv to fight against Russia. The question now is: will Merz authorize the delivery of longer-range weapons—specifically, Taurus cruise missiles—or not?

The Federal Chancellor did not specify what consequences this decision will have for future arms deliveries to Ukraine. So far, Germany has not supplied any weapons to Ukraine with a range exceeding approximately 70 kilometers. Many are now wondering whether the German government will deliver the powerful Taurus cruise missile under Merz’s leadership.

During the election campaign, Merz emphasized that he would be prepared to approve such a deliveries, but only in coordination with allies who have already supplied or possess similar weapons. Then he became chancellor. In that role, he has become more opaque, quickly halting the publication of information about weapons delivered to Ukraine.

As a reminder: when he was in opposition, Merz was one of the leading voices pushing for the German government to disclose what it was supplying. Chancellor Scholz eventually gave in to that pressure. As chancellor, Merz reversed that decision, citing the need for “strategic ambiguity”—the idea that one should not let the opponent know exactly what has been delivered, or is being considered for delivery, and when.

Until the Taurus is actually delivered, today’s statement falls squarely into that category: avoiding public debate over the specifics of arms deliveries. At the same time, however, it opens the door to a broader discussion about whether Germany might now be willing to supply such weapons.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Ukraine's allies had lifted range restrictions on weapons sent to help fend off Russia's ongoing invasion.

"There are no longer any range restrictions on weapons delivered to Ukraine — neither by the British nor by the French nor by us nor by the Americans," Merz told public broadcaster WDR.

"This means that Ukraine can now defend itself, for example, by attacking military positions in Russia... With very few exceptions, it didn't do that until recently. It can now do that."

Merz did not say whether this would mean that Germany would be delivering long-range Taurus missiles, something he said he was open to in April, provided it was done in coordination with European partners.

Russia at the time warned that it would treat Taurus missile strikes on "critical transport infrastructure" as "direct" German involvement in the war.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said Russian President Vladimir Putin views proposals for peace talks in Ukraine as a "sign of weakness" and has responded by intensifying the war.

"Putin obviously sees offers of talks as a sign of weakness," Merz told public broadcaster WDR. He added that recent diplomatic efforts to end the conflict had been met with harsher military action from Moscow.

Since returning to office, US President Donald Trump has been pushing for direct negotiations at the highest level.

Last week, he suggested the Vatican as a possible host. Italy said Pope Francis was ready to organize such talks, but Russia has cast doubt on the proposal.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said it would be "inelegant" for the Catholic Church to mediate between two mainly Orthodox countries.

Merz said Ukraine's Western allies had used every diplomatic avenue available.

"After the last three weeks, no one can seriously accuse us of not having exhausted all available diplomatic means," he said.

Short of "raising the white flag," Merz said, Ukraine's backers had "done everything" they could.

"If even an offer to meet at the Vatican does not get [Putin's] approval, then we must be prepared for this war to last longer than we all wish or can imagine," Merz warned.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the Russian army has launched the largest number of drones against Ukrainian cities and communities since the start of the full-scale war.

The attack included 355 attack UAVs, mostly "Shaheds," as well as nine cruise missiles. 

Zelenskyy reported that there had been injuries and damage to civilian infrastructure, and noted that the geography of the strikes extended across northern, central, eastern, and southern Ukraine. 

He added that it marked the third consecutive night of combined Russian attacks involving both drones and missiles.

"Only a sense of total impunity can allow Russia to carry out such strikes and continue increasing their scale," said Zelenskyy. "There is no real military logic to this, but there is significant political meaning."

"In doing this, Putin shows just how much he despises the world — the world that spends more effort on 'dialogue' with him than on real pressure."

"Like any criminal, Russia can only be constrained by force. Only through strength — the strength of the United States, of Europe, of all nations that value life — can these attacks be stopped and real peace achieved."

Zelenskyy added that the increase in Russian strikes and Moscow's "disregard for diplomacy" should be met with tougher sanctions. 

Russia has downplayed US President Donald Trump's comment that Vladimir Putin had "gone absolutely CRAZY," attributing it to emotional strain

At the same time, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov thanked Washington for helping launch peace negotiations over Ukraine.

Trump made the remark as Russia unleashed its largest aerial assault of the war. He also said he was considering new sanctions on Moscow, while criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"We are really grateful to the Americans and to President Trump personally for their assistance in organizing and launching this negotiation process," Peskov said Monday when asked about Trump's comment on Putin.

"Of course, at the same time, this is a very crucial moment, which is associated, of course, with the emotional overload of everyone absolutely and with emotional reactions," Peskov added.

Russia has been claiming fresh territorial gains in Ukraine's north-eastern Sumy region, saying its forces have taken control of two more border villages.

Moscow's defense ministry, cited by Russian media, said troops have captured Volodymyrivka and Bilovody, both located near Russia’s Kursk region.

Ukraine did not confirm losing the two villages. 

The announcement comes two days after Russia said it had seized another settlement in the same area, where it has been pressing an offensive for several weeks.

Russia has launched 355 drones at Ukraine in what Kyiv says is the largest such attack since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, with air alerts in the capital lasting six hours and damage reported across multiple regions.

Ukraine’s air force said Moscow deployed 355 Shahed-type drones, including decoys, along with nine cruise missiles.

Ukrainian officials say it was the biggest drone assault since February 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale offensive against Ukraine.

The overnight strike came after what officials described as a weekend of "terror."

While no deaths were reported from the drone barrage, Ukrainian authorities said one man was killed in Russian shelling in the northeastern Sumy region, which has faced months of near-daily attacks.

In the western city of Khmelnytsky, 18 residential buildings were damaged and a 14-year-old boy was injured in the southern Odesa region.

The escalation followed Russian strikes Sunday that killed 13 people.

It also came as US President Donald Trump offered rare criticism of Vladimir Putin, saying the Russian leader had gone "absolutely crazy" as Moscow bombed Ukraine during a major prisoner exchange.

Russia continued pounding Ukraine for the third night in a row using large swarms of combat drones, Ukrainian authorities reported early on Monday.

The Ukrainian air force warned of new cruise missile attacks by Russia on Telegram.

Air defense systems were deployed in many places, with numerous blasts reported, authorities said.

There were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage.

According to the air force, Russian drones attacked the port city of Odesa from the Black Sea. 
 

Donald Trump told the media he was "not happy with what Putin is doing," and replied "absolutely" when asked if he was considering further sanctions on Russia. 

His comments come after Russian launched the biggest aerial strike targeting Ukraine since its full-scale invasion in 2022.

"I've known him a long time, always gotten along with him, but he's sending rockets into cities and killing people and I don't like it at all," he said.

"We're in the middle of talking and he's shooting rockets into Kyiv and other cities. I don't like it at all. And I'm surprised. I'm very surprised."

US President Donald Trump called Russian President Vladimir Putin "crazy" after Moscow targeted Ukraine with a deadly series of attacks that killed at least 13 people amid a massive prisoner exchange.

"I've always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that's proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!" Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

"I've always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!" he added.

The remarks coming from Trump against Putin signal an increasing frustration with Moscow.

He said Putin is "needlessly killing a lot of people" by firing missiles and drones into Ukrainian cities "for no reason whatsoever."

Russia continued its aerial attack on Ukraine, killing at least 12 people even as the biggest prisoner exchange took place between the two countries on Sunday.

Ukraine's military said Sunday it had shot down 45 Russian missiles and 266 attack drones overnight as Moscow targeted its neighbor for a second night running. 

The prisoner exchange was completed on Sunday under which Ukraine and Russia have each released 303 prisoners.

It has been the biggest prisoner exchange since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbor, according to a report from Russia's RIA news agency citing the country's Defense Ministry.