Russia pounded Kyiv with missiles and drones overnight, killing at least 12 people in the biggest attack on the Ukrainian capital this year and drawing a rare rebuke from U.S. President Donald Trump, who told Vladimir Putin: "Vladimir, STOP!"
Trump told reporters at the White House that his administration was applying "a lot of pressure" on Russia and reiterated his displeasure with the attack.
But he said significant progress had been made in peace negotiations and that the Kremlin had made a "pretty big concession" by being open to "stopping the war, stopping taking the whole country."
"This next few days is going to be very important. Meetings are taking place right now," Trump said. "I think we're going to make a deal ... I think we're getting very close."
The president added later that Washington was also pressuring Kyiv.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at the same news conference that further discussions were planned for the weekend, and the U.S. wants to see both Ukraine and Russia step up to finalize a deal.
The Kyiv attack, which the U.S. president said was "not necessary" and "very bad timing" as he pushes for peace, also wounded 90 people, smashed buildings and set off fires, Ukrainian officials said. Rescuers were still recovering bodies from the rubble more than 12 hours later.
The attack came at a critical moment in Russia's war in Ukraine, which began with Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022. Both Kyiv and Moscow are trying to show Trump they are making progress towards his goal of a rapid peace deal.
"I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!" Trump said on Truth Social, addressing the Russian president.
The White House has threatened to abandon its efforts if no progress is made soon. Trump upbraided Zelenskiy on Wednesday over a comment in which the Ukrainian leader repeated that Kyiv would not recognise Russia's occupation of Crimea.
Trump has used a markedly more gentle tone in his statements about Putin than with Zelenskiy, whom he at one point referred to as a "dictator". Trump's special envoy is expected to meet Putin on Friday for more talks, a U.S. official has said.
Rubio decided at the last minute to skip talks between U.S., Ukrainian and European officials in London on Wednesday amid American ire over Zelenskiy's comment about Crimea. Trump said on Thursday that it would be very difficult for Ukraine to regain Crimea.
The London talks went ahead, albeit in a downgraded format, and Zelenskiy said on Thursday he believed that a proposal that emerged from the talks was now with Trump.
Zelenskiy, who cut short his trip to South Africa after the Russian strike, said he did not see signs Washington was putting strong pressure on Russia.
Asked by a reporter if he thought Putin would listen to his appeal to stop missile strikes, Trump said "I do."
He also said that he had his "own deadline" for reaching a peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine, without saying what it was.
Mobile phones ring beneath rubble
Rescue teams were operating at 13 sites in Kyiv with climbing specialists and sniffer dogs, the emergency services said. Forty fires had broken out.
"Mobile telephones are heard ringing beneath rubble. The search will continue until it becomes clear that they have got everyone," it said.
The Russian Defence Ministry said it carried out what it described as a massive overnight strike against Ukraine's military-industrial complex using air, land and sea-based long-range high-precision weapons and drones.
Tymur Tkachenko, the head of the Kyiv city military administration, said there were 12 dead.
Fires had broken out in garages, administrative buildings and falling metal fragments had struck vehicles.
"There was the air raid siren, we did not even have time to dress to go out of the apartment. One blast came after the other, all windows were blown out, doors, walls, my husband and son were thrown to the other side," Kyiv resident Viktoria Bakal said.
Zelenskiy said on X that Russia used a North Korean ballistic missile in the attack, citing preliminary information. A Ukrainian military source earlier told Reuters that a residential building in the Sviatoshynskyi district west of Kyiv's centre was hit by a North Korean KN-23 (KN-23A) ballistic missile.
Russia launched 145 drones and 70 missiles, including 11 ballistic missiles, in the overnight attack, Ukraine's air force said on Telegram. Air force units shot down 112 targets.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said that apart from Kyiv and the surrounding region, seven other regions were under "mass" attack. Damage was reported in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second biggest, in the Zhytomyr region west of Kyiv and in the industrial city of Pavlohrad, which lies in the central Dnipropetrovsk region.
In Washington, Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko told Reuters that Ukraine and the U.S. have made progress on a critical minerals agreement but it will "definitely not" be finalized this week.