Trump warns Russia of new sanctions after record airstrikes on Ukraine

US President Donald Trump threatened fresh sanctions on Russia after Moscow launched its largest aerial assault yet on Ukraine, killing at least four people and setting government offices ablaze in Kyiv on Sunday.

“I’m not happy with the whole situation,” Trump told reporters, saying Washington was prepared to advance new measures against Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged a “strong” U.S. response, warning that Russian President Vladimir Putin was “testing the world.”

According to Ukraine’s air force, Russia launched at least 810 drones and 13 missiles in the overnight barrage — the heaviest since the invasion began more than three years ago. Drone strikes damaged high-rise buildings in Kyiv, while flames engulfed part of the government complex housing the cabinet of ministers — the first time it has been directly hit.

Russia’s defense ministry claimed it had only targeted a logistics hub and industrial site in Kyiv, denying it struck civilian areas.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko shared video of the damaged government building, vowing reconstruction. “But we cannot bring back lost lives,” she said. Among the victims were a 24-year-old pregnant woman and her newborn delivered prematurely during the attack, state TV reported.

Zelensky discussed the strikes with French President Emmanuel Macron, who pledged to bolster Ukraine’s defenses. European leaders including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen condemned the assault, calling it “cowardly” and “mocking diplomacy.”

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent separately suggested Washington could impose tariffs on nations purchasing Russian oil, warning Russia’s economy risked “full collapse.”

The escalation follows a failed Trump-Putin meeting on Aug. 15 that produced no breakthrough on a ceasefire. Since then, Russia has stepped up its offensive, capturing more territory in eastern Ukraine.

The attack came as over two dozen European nations pledged to back any eventual peace deal, with some signaling willingness to send troops to Ukraine. Moscow has warned Western troop deployments would be treated as legitimate targets.

Russia currently occupies about 20% of Ukrainian territory. The war, now in its fourth year, has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, marking Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.