AT least 12 people have been killed in a brutal overnight blitz in Ukraine as Russia continues to pummel the war-torn nation.
More than 30 people were wounded, including five children, and at least 11 killed in a strike in the Donetsk region as both Russians and Ukrainians marked International Women’s Day on Saturday.
EAST2WestUkrainian firefighters tackle a blaze caused by the overnight shelling[/caption]
East2WestThe aftermath of the Russian assault on Dobropillia, Donetsk region, which killed over 10 people[/caption]
East2WestThe assault on Dobropillia left at least 11 dead and wounded dozens, including children[/caption]
Vladimir Putin ignored Trump’s warning to stop ‘pounding’ UkraineAFP
Other attacks were simultaneously launched in the Kharkiv region in the north-east of the country, causing more death and destruction.
Vladimir Putin’s actions came just hours after President Donald Trump issued a crippling threat telling him to stop “pounding” Ukraine.
Footage showed the hellish carnage in Dobropillia as the strikes destroyed eight five-story buildings, an administrative building, and 30 cars.
Putin pummelled the city, which was home to around 28,000 people before the outbreak of war, with ballistic missiles, numerous rockets and drones, officials have said.
Fires raged in Dobropillia’s buildings, hampering rescue efforts for people trapped in the rubble.
Ukrainian intelligence states that the dead were civilians.
Preliminary reports say the Russians used an Iskander-M missile, Tornado-S MRLS, and Shahed 136 killer drones.
Governor of the region Vadym Filashkin urged remaining residents of the mining town – some 12 miles from the frontline – to flee to safer regions.
Dobropillia is geographically close to the rare metals deposits that Trump is seeking to get rights to exploit from President Volodymyr Zelensky, as Russia seeks territorial gains in the Donbas.
Yet, the White House’s policies are making it harder for Ukraine to hold this territory after Trump axed intelligence sharing.
Ukrainian war analyst Denis Kazansky condemned the Dobropillia massacre in Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine.
This was “senseless mass murder of those very residents of Donbas whom Russia supposedly liberates and protects.”
“Only not a single Russian propagandist will shed tears over these murdered residents of Donbas.”
ASSAULT ON KHARKIV
A separate Russian drone strike on the Kharkiv region killed three, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the regional military administration.
At least seven others were injured in the attack on a meat processing plant in Bogodukhiv.
“The death toll has risen to three. All are civilian men,” he said.
Putin also staged an attack on civilian and industrial facilities in Odesa, triggering fires.
A video showed the horrific moment a Russian drone hit a car in Odessa, a strike which the driver miraculously survived.
The onslaught came as Trump’s blocking of Ukraine receiving intelligence data triggers fears of missile strikes from Russia without warning.
East2WestFirst photos from the cockpit of the French Mirage 2000-5 fighter jet of the Ukrainian Air Force, which shot down the Kh-101 cruise missile during the Russian attack[/caption]
East2WestZelensky has slammed Putin’s actions overnight calling on Trump to go through with his threat of sanctions[/caption]
Trump has also effectively grounded Ukraine’s Western-supplied long range missiles by refusing to supply key mapping data needed for targeting.
So far, Putin has shown no sign of desiring quick peace, which Trump claims the Kremlin dictator wants and needs.
ZELENSKY REACTS
Volodymyr Zelensky – who is due in Saudi Arabia on Monday where Ukraine will start talks of a peace deal with the Americans – hit out at the latest Russian aggression.
“Such strikes show that Russia’s goals are unchanged,” he said.
“It is very important to continue to do everything to protect life, strengthen our air defence, and tighten sanctions against Russia.
“Everything that helps Putin finance the war must break down.”
The president echoed the warnings issued by Trump on Friday when he threatened Putin with new sanctions if he did not cease his attacks on Ukraine.
He demanded both sides “get to the table right now” after Putin launched more attacks on Ukrainian civilians overnight on Thursday and into Friday morning.
In the latest unpredictable move from the Republican, he wrote: “Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED.
The moment a Russian drone hits a car in Odessa, with the driver miraculously survivingEast2West
East2WestFirefighters tackle blazes that erupted in Odesa overnight[/caption]
U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded both Russia and Ukraine ‘get to the table’ immediately
“To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you!!!”
Yet he gave Putin some small praise, saying it was easier to deal with Russia and Ukraine, adding that he understood the Kremlin dictator’s heavy bombardment on Thursday night.
“I actually think he’s doing what anybody else would do,” he said. “Probably anybody in that position would be doing that right now.”
The US president also said of Putin: “I think he’s going to be more generous than he has to be.”
But there was no sign of this on yet another night of misery in Ukraine.
In Ukrainian overnight drone strikes, they hit and partially destroyed the Kirishinefteorgsintez oil refinery in Kirishi, in Leningrad region near St Petersburg.
The drone offensive caused disruption at the city’s Pulkovo airport.
A Russian defence ministry dry rations plant in Bryansk region was also hit by Ukrainian jet drones causing a dozen explosions.
Separately, cockpit pictures today emerged of Ukraine’s first use of a French Mirage 2000-5 fighter jet to shoot down a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile during savage Russian attacks on Friday.
It comes as 10,000 Ukrainian troops risk being encircled in a cauldron in the Kursk region of Russia, open source maps revealed on Friday.
Pasi Paroinen, a military analyst at Finnish military company Black Bird Group said: “The situation is very bad.”
“There is very little time left before Ukrainian troops are either surrounded or forced to retreat.”
Ukraine still controls around 150 square miles of a larger area of Kursk region that it occupied in August last year.
Zelensky is clinging to the territory, aiming to use it as a bargaining chip during peace talks, but the strategy is now on a knife edge, with his 10,000 troops in potential peril from advances by Russian troops backed by North Korean fighters.
The week that changed history
THE shocking White House bust up between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky plunged global politics into a whirlwind of a week.
Friday, February 28 – Trump and Zelensky’s showdown
The Oval Office bust up between Donald Trump, JD Vance and Volodymyr Zelensky will go down in history.
Tensions exploded inside the White House as Trump yelled at Zelensky, accusing him of “gambling with World War Three” and calling him “ungrateful.”
The meeting – meant to finalise a critical minerals deal — descended into chaos at one point with all three men seen leaning forward, pointing fingers, and throwing their arms around in fury.
The fallout sent shockwaves through Washington.
And Trump’s ultimatum – “You either make a deal or we are out” – threw US support for Ukraine into doubt, with several meetings to follow in the week ahead to attempt to repair the fallout.
Saturday, March 1 – Starmer supports Zelensky
Zelensky jetted to London for talks with Sir Keir Starmer and Europe.
As they held talks, which would have included the Oval Office showdown, Starmer comforted Zelensky in saying that he has “full backing across the United Kingdom”.
He then later announced £2.6 billion in loans to support the war-torn nation.
By the evening, Starmer was in “constructive” calls with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron.
He said that Ukraine’s allies were “at a turning point in the conflict”
Sunday, March 2 – Europe rallies around Ukraine
A crucial security summit at Lancaster House was hosted by Starmer and saw dozens of nations attend to discuss US-Europe relations and the ongoing Ukrainian conflict.
The meeting, attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, saw a major push for a new military alliance to guarantee Ukraine’s future.
Afterwards, Starmer announced that a “coalition of the willing” would come together and devise a peace plan to end the bloody war.
The Prime Minister warned that Europe had to step up and “do the heavy lifting” – while still scrambling for America’s “strong” backing.
Unveiling his battle plan for the war-torn country, the PM told a press conference: “This is not a moment for more talk. It’s time to act. Time to step up and lead, and to unite, around a new plan for a just and enduring peace.”
He unveiled a £1.6 billion finance deal to help Ukraine buy more than 5,000 missiles and vowed to keep the weapons flowing while ramping up economic pressure on Russia.
Monday, March 3 – Trump lashes out at Zelensky again
The start of the week saw Trump continue to pile pressure on Zelensky as his allegiance with Europe appeared to dwindle further away.
In a brutal Truth Social put down, Trump blasted Zelensky as a “guy who doesn’t want there to be peace”.
The Republican was responding to a quote from the Ukrainian leader in which he said an end to the conflict with Russia is still “very, very far away”.
Hours after the social media attack, Trump then paused all US military aid to Ukraine for the foreseeable future.
The shock freeze will continue until Zelensky’s government shows a commitment to peace negotiations, a senior Trump administration official told Fox News.
Tuesday, March 4 – Zelensky “regrets” Trump fallout
Zelensky came out and public said he is ready to work “under Donald Trump” and “regrets” his brutal Oval Office row with the President.
Zelensky went on to share his own vision for peace that would involve bringing all parties to the table and included a ban on missiles and drones and releasing POWs.
He said in the bombshell X post that “none of us wants an endless war” and that “Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer.”
Wednesday, March 5 – Trump reveals “olive branch” to Congress
As much of Europe woke up on Wednesday, Donald Trump’s first historic address to Congress added another twist to the chaotic week.
In a fiery 100-minute speech, Trump vowed to end the war in Ukraine as he revealed he had received a letter from Zelensky and that Vladimir Putin was “ready for peace.”
The commander-in-chief said the letter spoke about negotiations taking place as soon as possible.
The important US-Ukraine minerals deal was also ready to be signed, Trump said per Zelensky’s words.
Thursday, March 6 – Europe gathers for key defence summit
A key emergency summit was held in Brussels on Thursday with European leaders to discuss the Ukraine war.
Dozens of prime ministers and presidents attended from Ukraine’s Zelensky to France’s Macron.
Images showed how the EU’s 27 leaders all held a working lunch with Zelensky before having separate press conferences outside.
Zelensky said he discussed strengthening his country’s defence as well as negotiations for Kyiv’s EU accession in the summit.
Friday, March 7 – Trump turns on Putin
Trump blasted Putin in a fierce condemnation of Russia’s war in Ukraine – demanding both sides “get to the table right now”.
The US President issued a fiery rebuke of the Russians as they once again launched a huge blitz on Ukrainian civilians overnight.
In the latest unpredictable move from the Republican, he wrote: “Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED.
“To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you!!!”
The post has left the world stunned, given Trump’s history of warm rhetoric toward mad Vlad and his recent attacks on Zelensky’s leadership.
More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online
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