Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused the United States of unwillingness to help Ukraine after a Russian guided bomb struck the eastern city of Kramatorsk, killing at least 35 people and raising the death toll from recent strikes to more than 70.
Hours after the strike, which tore through two buses, Zelensky criticised Washington’s pursuit of economic ties with Russia while also seeking to mediate the war. He called the US “unwilling” to provide the support he deemed necessary.
City officials reported a new drone attack that evening that killed two more, bringing the Kramatorsk toll to 35. A separate Russian aerial bomb killed two in a village in southeastern Dnipropetrovsk and one in the western city of Ivano‑Frankivsk. Earlier, a mass drone and missile assault had killed dozens across Ukraine, including 22 in Pryluky.
Speaking to reporters in Pryluky, Zelensky said 78 people were killed and 215 wounded by strikes in the last two days across Ukraine. He urged the US to expand Ukraine’s access to the Starlink satellite service to help target Russian missile launchers, citing the service’s earlier use for Iran.
“Open Starlink for Ukraine. You did open it when you were responding to Iran … I’ve said quite openly — give it to us, help us defend our skies and dominate there. And then Putin will sit down at the negotiating table,” he said in an emotional statement.
Zelensky also criticised US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s claim that the war was at a stalemate, arguing that negotiating with Russia on future economic projects while calling the situation a diplomatic dead‑end showed unwillingness. He called on US President Donald Trump to increase sanction pressure on Russia.
Top Russian and US officials, including Special Envoy Jared Kushner, have discussed bringing a US investor into the Nord Stream pipelines that delivered Russian gas to Germany before Moscow invaded. Ukrainian negotiators will travel to the US on Friday and Saturday for talks, Zelensky added, urging European partners to join the discussions.
Separately, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported four people killed and 19 wounded in morning attacks on the capital, with water and electricity supplies disrupted. Russian drone strikes have continued to target warehouses, data centres and the power grid ahead of winter.
Russia’s technology and AI company Yandex said it could not yet determine whether equipment at a data centre hit by a Ukrainian drone attack could be restored. Zelensky said Ukraine was “mirroring” Russian attacks on data centres.
As the conflict escalates, Zelensky warned that the Russian attacks would not go unanswered and called for greater international support to defend Ukraine’s skies and infrastructure.
