Ukraine War Live Updates: 11 Casualties in Donetsk as Russia Intensifies Attacks Following Trump’s Defense of Putin

Andrew Roth

Donald Trump remarked that Vladimir Putin was “acting in accordance with common sense” after Russia executed a substantial missile and drone strike on Ukraine, just days following the US cessation of critical intelligence and military support to Kyiv.

In statements to reporters from the Oval Office on Friday, Trump claimed he finds negotiations with Russia “more manageable” than those with Ukraine, asserting that Putin “aims to bring the conflict to a close”.

“I’m finding interactions with Ukraine to be more challenging. They don’t possess the negotiating power,” Trump commented. “From the perspective of achieving a resolution, conversing with Russia may prove to be simpler.”

When questioned about whether the Russian leader was capitalizing on the gaps in US intelligence support and aid to Ukraine, Trump responded: “I genuinely believe he is doing what anyone else in his position would undertake.”

High-ranking US and Ukrainian officials have plans to convene in Saudi Arabia next week, as Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his team aim to mend relations with the US following a tense meeting in the Oval Office, during which Trump told Zelenskyy that he was “risking global warfare.”

In light of the US decision to suspend intelligence sharing—which had been instrumental in aiding Ukraine in countering missile attacks—Russia executed extensive drone and missile offensives against Ukrainians energy infrastructure on Friday.

Talking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump stated: “Our relations with Russia are quite good. However, they are currently bombarding Ukraine heavily.”

You can read more from Andrew Roth in Washington and Luke Harding in Kyiv here:

A tank at Russia’s Kirishi refinery, one of the country’s largest, was damaged by falling debris during a Ukrainian drone attack, the governor of the north-western Leningrad region said on Saturday, as reported by Reuters.

Surgutneftegaz’s Kirishinefteorgsintez (KINEF) refinery is among Russia’s top two refineries, processing roughly 17.7 million tons or 355,000 barrels per day of crude oil, which accounts for 6.4% of the nation’s total, according to industry sources.

“Air defenses intercepted one drone as it approached, while the other was eliminated over the territory of the facility,” Alexander Drozdenko, governor of the Leningrad region, reported via Telegram.

“The debris caused damage to the external structure of one of the tanks,” he stated. No injuries were reported.

The extent of the refinery’s damage remains unclear, and there has been no immediate comment from Surgutneftegaz, one of Russia’s leading oil firms, or from Ukrainian sources.

Looking ahead to upcoming discussions between Ukraine and the US, Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to arrive in Saudi Arabia on Monday for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

This meeting precedes a fresh set of negotiations with US officials scheduled for Tuesday in the Middle Eastern nation.

Following his session with Prince Mohammed, Zelensky noted that his team “will stay in Saudi Arabia to collaborate with our American partners,” according to Agence France-Presse.

“Ukraine’s primary goal is peace,” he emphasized.

Earlier on Friday, the Ukrainian president reiterated calls for a reciprocal cessation of air attacks targeting critical infrastructures after the recent wave of Russian assaults.

He stated that initiating authentic peace should involve halting aerial and naval operations from both Russia and Ukraine.

This latest proposal aligns with increasing dialogues among Kyiv, Washington, and Moscow regarding the potential cessation of conflict.

The Kremlin has previously dismissed the idea of a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine.

According to the Ukrainian interior ministry on Saturday, five children are among the 30 individuals injured in the recent Russian strikes on Dobropillia, which have also resulted in at least 11 fatalities.

The ministry reported that Russian forces carried out the assault on this eastern Ukrainian town using ballistic missiles, a barrage of rockets, and drones, leading to damage to eight multi-storey buildings and 30 vehicles, as noted by Reuters.

“While putting out the fire, the occupiers targeted again, damaging the fire truck,” the ministry stated on Telegram.

The ministry also shared images of partially destroyed buildings engulfed in flames and rescuers working on the debris.

Situated in the Donetsk region and home to approximately 28,000 pre-war residents, Dobropillia is located 22 km (14 miles) from the front line north of the crucial hub of Pokrovsk, which has been under attack from Russian forces for several weeks.

The ministry further noted that at least three individuals died and seven were hurt in a separate drone strike in the Kharkiv region overnight.

According to the military, Russia conducted a significant attack on Ukraine overnight utilizing two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and one Iskander-K cruise missile, in addition to launching 145 drones.

The air forces managed to intercept one cruise missile and 79 drones, while it was reported that 54 drones likely failed to reach their intended destinations possibly due to electronic countermeasures.

During a major Ukrainian drone strike, a tank at Russia’s Kirishi refinery—one of its largest—sustained damage due to debris falling from the sky, as indicated by the governor of the northwestern Leningrad region on Saturday.

As reported by Reuters, Surgutneftegaz’s Kirishinefteorgsintez (KINEF) refinery ranks among the two largest refineries within Russia.

“Our air defenses intercepted one drone while it was approaching, and another drone was neutralized over the facility,” Alexander Drozdenko, the governor of the Leningrad region, conveyed via Telegram.

When the debris fell, one of the tanks suffered damage to its external structure.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

The exact extent of the damage to the refinery remains unclear, as no immediate comments were made by Surgutneftegaz, one of Russia’s major oil companies, or Ukrainian sources.

We welcome you to our live updates regarding the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Here’s an overview of the latest developments.

Reports indicate that Russian strikes late Friday evening in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region resulted in at least 11 fatalities and 30 injuries, as reported by the country’s emergency service. The earlier death toll was reported at four.

The attack in the heart of Dobropillia is noted to have damaged at least nine structures, as mentioned in a Telegram message.

According to the regional governor, it was disclosed that Russian forces had executed three nighttime assaults targeting the town situated north of Pokrovsk, a crucial area in their advanced maneuvers throughout eastern Ukraine. Emergency services were dispatched to the scene following the attack, as noted by Vadym Filashki on Telegram.

Meanwhile, reports from Russia indicate that thousands of Ukrainian troops, who infiltrated into the Kursk region last August, are now nearly encircled by Russian forces in a significant setback for Kyiv, which had intended to leverage their presence for future peace negotiations with Moscow, as reported by Reuters and reflected in publicly available maps.

The condition in Kursk has reportedly worsened considerably within the past three days following Russian forces reclaiming ground in a counteroffensive that threatens to bifurcate Ukrainian forces and sever their main supply lines.

This development follows a suspension of intelligence-sharing from Washington to Kyiv, raising concerns that the Ukrainian forces may be compelled to withdraw into their territory to avoid capture or fatalities.

In other news:

• Numerous ballistic missile and drone strikes were launched by Russia across Ukraine a day after the US ceased intelligence sharing with Kyiv, which had previously provided warnings about impending attacks. The assaults took place early Friday as a Ukrainian delegation was set to meet with US officials in Saudi Arabia next week for discussions regarding a potential resolution to the conflict, as reported by Luke Harding and Dan Sabbagh. Donald Trump commented on Truth Social, suggesting his disapproval of Russia’s recent actions, stating: “Given that Russia is aggressively targeting Ukraine on the battlefield at present, I am seriously contemplating imposing extensive Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a ceasefire and a FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT FOR PEACE is reached.”

• After the strikes, Trump commented that Vladimir Putin was <a href=\”https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/07/trump-says-it-is-easier-to-deal-with-russia-and-putin-wants-to-end-the-war\”>“acting as anyone would expect him to”</a>. He further stated: “I believe he wants to resolve this [the war] and he seems to be stepping up efforts, which anyone positioned like him would likely do right now,” during his remarks to reporters at the White House. Trump also emphasized that he felt more comfortable dealing with Russia than Ukraine while working to end the conflict and expressed trust in Putin as the Russian leader. “I trust him,” he asserted. “I am finding it more complex, in all honesty, to negotiate with Ukraine, as they lack leverage. It might indeed be simpler to engage with Russia.”

• In his response to Russia’s attacks, Volodymyr Zelenskyy advocated for a ceasefire encompassing air and maritime operations. “The initial measures to achieve genuine peace should entail compelling the singular source of this conflict, Russia, to cease such hostilities,” the Ukrainian president stated on Telegram. Moscow has rebuffed the proposition of a temporary cessation of hostilities, which has also been put forward by both Britain and France.

• US aerospace firm Maxar Technologies suspended Ukraine’s access to satellite imagery following a request from the Trump administration. Maxar indicated that it has agreements with the US government and numerous allied and partner nations, emphasizing that “each client determines how they utilize and disseminate that information.”

• Following recent tensions, Zelenskyy’s approval ratings in Ukraine have surged by 10% since his controversial exchange with Trump, as reflected in a survey conducted by a prominent Ukrainian polling organization. The Kyiv International Institute of Sociology conducted the poll between February 14 and March 4, revealing that 67% of participants expressed confidence in Zelenskyy in March, an increase from 57% just a month earlier.

• Iran’s foreign ministry rejected claims from Emmanuel Macron that Tehran supplied arms to Russia for utilization in the conflict against Ukraine, describing the comments from the French president as “false and unfounded.”