Zelensky says Russia Launched a Massive Air Strike on Ukraine

(The Post News)- Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia launched a huge air strike on Ukraine right after Russian president Vladimir Putin had a conversation with the United States (US) president Donald Trump on Thursday, 3 July.

Zelensky took to social media, X, to comment about the attack. He says the strike by Russia is one of the most large-scale air attacks. He further confirmed that Russia launched 550 missiles and drones, which targeted the capital Kyiv and its broader region, as well as the regions of Dnipro, Sumy, Kharkiv and Chernihiv. As such, 23 people had been reported wounded.

Zelensky says that he had a conversation with Trump yesterday following the Russian attack and a controversial pause in U.S. arms shipments to Ukraine. He considered the conversation with Trump “very important and useful”. The conversation between Trump and Zelensky comes after Trump had a telephone call with the Russian president.

Amongst other things, Trump had expressed his disappointment regarding his conversation with Putin on Thursday. He says he was “very disappointed”, noting that the conversation with Putin does not intend to stop the war against Ukraine.

Trump attempts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, and he has called on Republicans to negotiate with Putin. Meanwhile, Zelensky thanked Trump for the U.S. support and cooperation, particularly on the air defence cooperation. He says they are “strengthening protection of our skies” and are expected to arrange meetings between their defence teams.

The conversation between Trump and Zelensky further focused on the two countries’ collaboration on weapons production, technology, and mutual investments.

Although Trump and Zelensky’s conversation covered collaboration on weapons, the Trump administration confirmed it had frozen a shipment of air defence and precision weapons due to concerns about depleting U.S. stockpiles. However, Ukraine’s Defence Ministry says it has not received any formal information about the suspension of the U.S. shipment of weapons.