Trump tells Zelenskyy to ‘settle with Putin’ as strikes kill at least 16

Russian and Ukrainian strikes killed at least 16 people over the past 24 hours, both sides reported on Saturday, as the war's aerial dimension continues to expand more than four years after Moscow's full-scale invasion. The deadly exchanges came as Russia's foreign minister accused Europe of sabotaging peace efforts and President Trump called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to "settle" with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Deadly Strikes on Both Sides

In Ukraine, at least six people were killed across multiple regions. Two women died after being trapped beneath the rubble of their home following an overnight Russian barrage of drones and missiles in Zaporizhzhia. A separate Russian attack on the northeastern city of Sumy killed two more. Additional deaths were reported in the Dnipropetrovsk region, where a 17-year-old girl was among the victims, and in the Kherson region. Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 173 attack drones overnight, of which 134 were shot down or neutralized.cbsnews+6

On the Russian side, a Ukrainian drone attack in the southern Krasnodar region killed three people and wounded two, sparking fires at two industrial facilities. Ukraine's General Staff said it had targeted the Ilsky oil refinery in the region. In Russian-occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia, Moscow-installed officials said Ukrainian strikes killed three more people overnight. A Ukrainian drone also struck a cafe in the occupied Kherson region, killing two young women, according to Russian officials.aljazeera+3

Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its strikes on Kyiv damaged a data center supporting mobile internet and Starlink satellite communications for Ukraine's armed forces. In the Odesa region, Moscow said it hit a port facility, a road bridge, and a logistics center.abcnews+1

Diplomatic Tensions at the UN

At the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Europe of undermining Washington's peace efforts. "Europe is doing everything it can to thwart peace talks in which the Trump administration is interested," Lavrov said. He vowed that Moscow's military aims in Ukraine would be achieved "no matter the circumstances."cbsnews+1

Before his speech, Lavrov held a rare meeting with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul — the first between Moscow and Berlin's top diplomats since before the war. The encounter came amid rising tensions, with Germany accusing Russia of orchestrating an attempted drone attack on Leipzig airport and both countries ordering the closure of each other's consulates.cbsnews

Push for a Deal

Trump commented Saturday on his meeting earlier in the week with Zelenskyy at the UN General Assembly, saying he hoped a deal could be reached "before the heavy winter." "I want him to settle with Putin, and I want Putin to settle with him," Trump said.abcnews+1

Zelenskyy struck a different tone. "If the Russians have chosen to make their strikes even more brutal, the world must choose stronger responses to keep the war from spreading further," he wrote on social media. He called on Trump to implement the Lindsey Graham Act sanctions against Russia and urged European leaders to impose further restrictions on Moscow.aa+2