Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated Saturday that 16 people, including six children, had been murdered in Kryvyi Rih by recent Russian attacks. A targeted drone assault in Kharkiv also claimed five lives. He said that the attack, which featured six “Shahed” drones, also wounded 34 people.

Zelenskyy shared a message on X that said, “A Russian missile attack has prompted rescue efforts in Kryvyi Rih. Six youngsters are among the 16 confirmed fatalities as of this writing. Rescue operations in Kharkiv lasted the whole day after a targeted Russian drone attack. six “Shahed” drones attacking on purpose. Unfortunately, five persons lost their lives. There were thirty-four injuries. All of the families and loved ones have my deepest sympathies. Another targeted attack by a Russian FPV drone struck the Kherson thermal power station, an energy infrastructure in Kherson.

He said, “The Russians know precisely what they’re targeting, so these attacks cannot be random. They are aware that Russia guaranteed the American side that this energy infrastructure would be safe from strikes. Every Russian pledge is met by artillery, bombers, drones, or missiles. To them, diplomacy is meaningless.

A ceasefire could have been negotiated earlier, according to President Zelenskyy, but Russian President Vladimir Putin has consistently refused it.

“There must be enough pressure on Russia for them to feel the repercussions of every lie, every attack, and every day that they extend the conflict and kill lives. A ceasefire could have been struck already; Moscow has been refusing one since March 11 and Putin is the one who denies it. This conflict is what they in Russia want. And it’s clear that expectations or discussions alone won’t be enough to compel Russia to make peace,” Zelenskyy said.

Meanwhile, the United States met with Russian and Ukrainian representatives at the expert level in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from March 23 to 25. These bilateral encounters came after US President Donald Trump had high-level talks with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and Russian President Putin, respectively.

The main topics of discussion were Black Sea security, protecting commercial shipping, protecting energy infrastructure, and more general diplomatic initiatives to promote a lasting peace.