The latest massive Russian bombardment in Ukraine, the largest airstrike since the beginning of the war, sparked anger from Donald Trump. "I am not happy," stated the U.S. President late on Sunday. When asked if he was willing to impose more sanctions on Moscow, he replied, "Yes, I am."
On Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov commented on Trump's statements, saying that Europe and Ukraine are doing everything possible to attract the United States to their orbit and affirmed that no sanction will ever force Russia to change course.
Additionally, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that their defenses neutralized 112 out of the 142 drones launched by Russia this morning. Among the targets hit was a thermoelectric power plant in the Kiev region.
Benfica Footballer Sudakov's Destroyed House in Kiev
Heorhiy Sudakov, Ukrainian player for Benfica, showed on Instagram the aftermath of his house being hit by several Russian missiles on the night of September 7, with his family thankfully unharmed.
His wife, over 7 months pregnant, and his three-year-old daughter emerged unscathed from the bombing, "fortunately," the player wrote.
The building in Kiev that was bombed suffered severe damage, especially the upper floors, which were completely destroyed.
Sudakov, a 23-year-old footballer who has played his entire career at Shakhtar Donetsk, moved to Portugal this summer after signing with Benfica for 27 million euros.
At the time of the bombing, the footballer was with his national team in Poland.
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Costa: "We Must Stop This War, and the Only Way is to Force Putin to Negotiate"
"We must stop this war, and the only way to do it is through a peace agreement, for which we must continue supporting Ukraine and increase pressure on Russia," stated the President of the European Council, António Costa, in a press conference with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo during his tour of several EU countries, as reported by Efe.
According to Costa, the European Union (EU) is coordinating efforts with the United States to harmonize sanctions against Russia to make them more effective and exert more pressure on Putin to finally agree to peace negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"It is clear that the United States continues to be involved in supporting Ukraine and has committed to backing future security guarantees to ensure lasting peace in Ukraine," he said.
He also stated that in recent months, the EU has managed to "stabilize" its relationship with its most important ally, the United States, both in trade matters and in defense, within the framework of NATO and regarding Ukraine.
Ukrainian Army: Russia Has "Three Times More" Resources on the Frontline
Russia has at least "three times more" forces and resources than Ukraine on the front line, according to the Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky. "Currently, the enemy has three times more forces and resources, and in the main sectors of the front, up to four to six times more," he explained in a Facebook statement summarizing August, as reported by AFP.
Russian forces advanced in eastern Ukraine throughout August, although at a slightly slower pace than in previous months, according to an AFP analysis based on data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
The Kremlin States that Sanctions Will Never Force Russia to Change Course
The Kremlin stated on Monday that no sanction will ever force Russia to change course in Ukraine, as reported by the state news agency RIA.
On Sunday, Trump stated that he is ready to move to a second phase of sanctions against Russia following Moscow's largest airstrike.
And on Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov commented on the U.S. President's statements, saying that Europe and Ukraine are doing everything possible to attract the United States to their orbit.
Drone with Cyrillic Inscriptions Falls in Poland Near Belarusian Border
Polish authorities reported on Monday the discovery of a drone with Cyrillic inscriptions, provisionally classified as disarmed, which crashed on Sunday night in the town of Polatycze, just 300 meters from the Polish-Belarusian border, marking the third incident of this kind in less than a month, as reported by Efe.
Lublin Prosecutor's Office spokesperson Agnieszka Kpka confirmed in a press conference that the device "appears disarmed" and "likely" does not contain explosives or dangerous materials. The investigation is being handled by the Department of Military Affairs, which has deployed surveillance in the area and closed it to the public.
The drone remnants were found by the Border Guard in a cornfield, about 300 meters from the Terespol border crossing.
This incident adds to another that occurred on Saturday night when another drone fell in Majdan-Sielec (east), although in this case, it was confirmed to be a "civil technology" device, likely used by smugglers.
Russia Shoots Down Seven Ukrainian Drones over Four Regions
Russian anti-aircraft defenses shot down seven Ukrainian fixed-wing drones over four of its regions last night, as reported on Monday by the Russian Ministry of Defense on its Telegram channel, according to Efe.
According to the military report, the Ukrainian aircraft were intercepted and destroyed over the regions of Tula (three), Smolensk (two), Bryansk (one), and Ryazan (one).
Russia Attacks a Thermoelectric Power Plant in the Kiev Region
Furthermore, the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy reported that Russia attacked a thermoelectric power plant in the Kiev region. "The goal is obvious: to cause even more difficulties for the civilian population of Ukraine, leaving Ukrainian homes, hospitals, kindergartens, and schools without light and heat," the ministry wrote on the Telegram messaging app, as reported by Reuters.
Ukraine Neutralizes 112 Russian Drones, with 26 Impacting 7 Locations
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that their defenses neutralized 112 out of the 142 unmanned vehicles launched by Russia against their territory. Another 26 drones hit 7 unspecified locations.
Death Toll Rises to Five in Sunday's Attack on Kiev
Ukrainian rescue services found the lifeless body of a man among the rubble of the nine-story building destroyed on Sunday in a massive Russian attack on the Ukrainian capital, bringing the civilian death toll to five from this bombing.
The discovery of the body was announced on Monday by the Ukrainian emergency services. In the same building in the Sviatoshyn district of Kiev, the Russian attack also killed a woman and her two-month-old son.
Trump Threatens Sanctions on Russia
U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that he is prepared to impose more sanctions on Russia after Moscow launched its largest aerial offensive against Ukraine since the war began, as reported by Afp.
Trump told reporters that he is not "happy" with what happened and, when asked at the White House if he was willing to impose more sanctions against Moscow, he replied, "Yes, I am."