Russian strike on Ukrainian town kills 11 as US cuts intelligence
sharing with Kyiv
[March 08, 2025]
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian strike on a town in Ukraine's embattled
Donetsk region killed at least 11 people, officials said Saturday, as a
wave of heavy aerial attacks continued into the second night following a
U.S. decision to stop sharing satellite images with Ukraine.
Thirty people were also reported injured in multiple strikes late Friday
that damaged eight apartment blocks in the town of Dobropillya, which is
close to the front where Russian troops have been making steady
advances. Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said a Russian drone damaged
a Ukrainian fire truck while rescuers fought to extinguish the burning
buildings.
Donetsk Gov. Vadym Filashkin declared Saturday a day of mourning in the
region and warned that more victims could still be found in the rubble.
“The destroyed houses and burned-out cars are a terrible scar on the
body of our city, left by Russian missiles and drones,” he said in a
statement on Telegram.
“But the most terrifying thing is the the number of victims. At the
moment, we know that 11 people were killed and 30 were wounded, but the
search operation is ongoing and these numbers may still increase.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at least five children were
among the injured. “Last night, the Russian army fired two ballistic
missiles at the center of Dobropillya,” he said. “After emergency
services arrived at the scene, they launched another strike,
deliberately targeting rescuers. It is a vile and inhumane intimidation
tactic to which the Russians often resort.”
The attack took place just 24 hours after Russia hit Ukrainian energy
facilities with dozens of missiles and drones, hobbling its ability to
deliver heat and light to its citizens and to power weapons factories
vital to its defenses.
The barrage came after the U.S. suspended military aid and intelligence
to Ukraine to pressure it into accepting a peace deal being pushed by
the Trump administration.
When asked Friday by a reporter during an Oval Office exchange if
Russian President Vladimir Putin was taking advantage of the U.S. pause
on intelligence-sharing to attack Ukraine, Trump responded: “I think
he’s doing what anybody else would.”
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In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service,
firefighters put out the fire following a Russian rocket attack in
Dobropillya, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Saturday, March 8, 2025.
(Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)
Zelenskyy did not reference the intelligence-sharing deal, but did
seem to appeal to other statements Trump made Friday related to
financial sanctions against Moscow. Writing on social media, the
U.S. president proposed imposing large-scale banking sanctions and
tariffs on Russia until a cease-fire and final peace settlement was
reached.
Zelenskyy welcomed the prospect of additional sanctions on Moscow,
saying, "Everything that helps Putin finance the war must be
broken.”
Ukraine’s air force reported Saturday that Russian troops launched
three Iskander missiles and 145 drones over the country overnight.
The bombardment contained a mix of attack and decoy drones intended
to confuse air defenses. One missile and 79 drones were shot down,
while 54 more drones were lost without causing damage, the Ukrainian
air force said.
Among the targeted areas was Ukraine’s northeastern region of
Kharkiv, where three people died after a Russian drone hit a
civilian workshop, emergency services said.
Meanwhile, Russian troops shot down 31 Ukrainian drones overnight,
including 26 over the country’s Krasnodar region, Russia’s Defense
Ministry said Saturday.
Falling debris from one drone sparked a blaze at the KINEF oil
refinery in Russia’s northern Leningrad region, local Gov. Aleksandr
Drozdenko said in a statement. No casualties were reported.
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