Russian strikes on Ukraine kill 20 as U.S. cuts intelligence sharing with Kyiv

Russian air strikes have killed at least 20 people, officials say, following a U.S. decision to stop sharing satellite images with Ukraine.

Russian strikes on Ukraine have killed at least 20 people, officials said Saturday, as heavy aerial attacks continued into the second night following a U.S. decision to stop sharing satellite images with Ukraine.

The decision to withhold intelligence and military aid came on the heels of a tempestuous White House visit last week by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Without U.S. satellite imagery, Ukraine’s ability to strike inside Russia and defend itself from bombardment is significantly diminished.

At least 11 people were killed in multiple strikes on a town in Ukraine’s embattled Donetsk region late Friday, regional Gov. Vadym Filashkin said. The attack 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.

Another six people were killed in the front-line towns of Pokrovsk, Kostyantynivka, Myrnograd and Ivanopillya, Filashkin said, while emergency services reported that three others died when a Russian drone hit a civilian workshop in the northeastern Kharkiv region.

Filashkin declared Saturday a day of mourning in the region and warned that more victims could still be found in the rubble.

Zelenskyy said at least five children were among the injured in Dobropillya. “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 wave of attacks 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 defences.