On Saturday, the 17th, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked his supporters to take to the streets in defense of new U.S. sanctions against Russia, just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump signed a decree pausing a broad package of restrictions aimed at the Russian economy.
The White House decision heightened fears that Ukraine could be exposed to Moscow’s escalation of attacks as winter approaches.
Also read: Have we reached the breaking point between Trump and Zelensky?
Russian attacks during the night killed at least four people, including an ambulance driver, and left dozens injured, authorities said. Ukrainian drones killed a woman in a border region of Russia and disrupted flights at Moscow airports, according to Russian authorities.
Zelensky described Trump’s decision to suspend the sanctions as regrettable, but did not directly criticize the American leader, despite the growing tensions between Ukraine and Washington in recent days.
“Regrettably, a decision in America was taken to completely disregard the Lindsey Graham Act, which should impose truly effective pressure on Russia to end this war,” Zelensky wrote.
He also expressed hope that the new sanctions could be reactivated. “This law could have helped enormously – and it still can! But it truly has to work, and every voice in support of it matters,” he said.
Also read: Zelensky says Russia attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and calls for sanctions
Critics say Trump’s decision helps Putin
Named after the late South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, the legislation sought to more quickly curb the flow of financial resources fueling Russia’s war against Ukraine, which has lasted four years and a half. The bill aimed to sanction Russian officials, banks, and a phantom fleet of oil tankers that maintains Russia’s energy transport.
Trump personally signed the legislation last month, and the measure came just two days before the deadline set in the law for its implementation. The president told Congress that the pause was in the national interest, but did not provide further details.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, co-author of the bill, said in a statement that Trump was turning his back on “the majority of Americans, their representatives in both houses of Congress and our European allies.”
“These exemptions have nothing to do with our national security and everything to do with currying Vladimir Putin,” Blumenthal said.
Also read: Russia says it has taken a strategic city in eastern Ukraine
The unexpected decision by Trump comes a week after he surprisingly declared that the U.S. had agreed to buy diesel from Russia to try to lower global energy prices, despite potentially harming Ukraine in its war against the Russians.
Trump said Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons “immediately thereafter.”
The decision was criticized by both Republicans and Democrats, who argued that it would help Russia wage its war against Ukraine – without making a difference in global fuel prices, which are high largely due to Trump’s war against Iran.
Kiev says Moscow carried out a ‘massive’ attack on the energy network
“The scale and relentless pace of Russia’s attacks, specifically against our energy sector, are unfortunately having serious consequences,” he said.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Russian forces launched four cruise missiles and 332 attack drones during the night. All missiles and 289 of the drones were neutralized or destroyed, it stated.
Also read: Zelensky defies Trump’s appeal and returns to strike Russian oil refineries
Russia’s intensified bombardment of the power grid ahead of winter has become an annual hallmark of the war, with the aim of wearing down Ukrainian resistance by depriving civilians of heating and running water. Ukrainian authorities warned that Russia is stockpiling ballistic missiles for further attacks in the coming months.
Russian attacks killed three people in the Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, said Vadym Liakh, head of the city’s military administration, on Saturday. Writing on social media, Liakh said two apartment blocks were partially destroyed and other homes damaged.
A Russian attack also killed an ambulance driver in the Kherson region, in Ukraine, said Yaroslav Shanko, head of the local military administration. The attack, which used guided bombs, injured at least 33 others, he said.
Drones of Ukraine kill one person and cancel hundreds of flights at Moscow airports
In another location, a Russian woman was killed in a Ukrainian drone attack in the Russian border region of Belgorod, local authorities said.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday that its forces shot down 610 Ukrainian drones overnight in 15 Russian regions, as well as on the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia and in the Black Sea.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said more than 100 drones were shot down en route to the Russian capital. More than 350 flights were cancelled or delayed at Moscow’s airports, local media reported, while planes were barred from taking off in response to the drones’ approach.
Also read: Russia includes occupied Ukrainian territories for the first time in a vote for election
The Kremlin announced on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a government program to help restore commercial and logistical facilities damaged in drone attacks. /AP
*This content was translated with the help of artificial intelligence tools and reviewed by the Estadão editorial team. Learn more in our AI Policy.
