U.S. President Donald Trump has condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin for what he called the “largest aerial attack of the war” on Ukraine, stating that Putin had “gone absolutely CRAZY.”
Trump also signaled the potential for new sanctions against Moscow but did not spare criticism for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Trump made the remarks in a post on Truth Social as Ukrainians endured a third consecutive night of drone and missile attacks. Throughout the night, residents listened to the sound of drones buzzing overhead and Ukraine’s anti-aircraft defenses firing in response.
According to the Ukrainian air force, Russia launched 355 drones and nine cruise missiles overnight—a figure that marks the largest drone attack of the conflict to date, a spokesperson told Reuters.
“Something has happened to him (Putin). He has gone absolutely CRAZY!” Trump posted on Truth Social, referring to the latest overnight assault.
“I’ve always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that’s proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!”
Trump also turned his attention to Zelenskiy, stating that the Ukrainian leader “is doing his Country no favours by talking the way he does. Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don’t like it, and it better stop.”
When asked about Trump’s comments describing Putin as “crazy,” the Kremlin avoided a direct rebuttal but acknowledged heightened emotions amid the escalation.
“This is a very crucial moment, which is associated, of course, with the emotional overload of everyone absolutely and with emotional reactions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, while thanking both the American public and Trump for their past involvement in promoting peace talks.
The Ukrainian air force reported that Russian strikes targeted five separate locations overnight but provided limited details, hinting at damage to military infrastructure.
In the Black Sea region of Odesa, a 14-year-old boy was reportedly injured. Officials also confirmed damage to residential buildings and industrial facilities in western Ukraine.
The Kremlin insisted the strikes were focused solely on military targets and claimed they were a direct response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian civilian areas.
President Zelenskiy did not address Trump’s remarks directly but, in a post on X, criticised what he described as the global community’s greater willingness to engage in dialogue with Putin rather than applying serious pressure on Moscow.
Russia, he said, can only be deterred by force and once again called for increased sanctions.
Speaking to reporters in Morristown, New Jersey, Trump said of Putin: “I don’t know what’s wrong with him. What the hell happened to him? Right? He’s killing a lot of people. I’m not happy about that.”
He also raised the possibility of introducing new sanctions in response to the ongoing Russian offensive.
The most recent assault, according to Ukrainian officials, involved more than 367 drones and missiles—a record for the conflict—and killed at least 12 people, including three children in the northern region of Zhytomyr.
While previous strikes have resulted in more casualties, the scale of this attack marks it as the largest in terms of volume of weapons deployed.
Trump has continued to push for an end to the war, which has now stretched into its fourth year. However, peace remains elusive as Russia intensifies its advance in eastern Ukraine and diplomatic efforts show little progress.
Both sides are heavily relying on drone warfare, with fierce fighting ongoing across several key areas along the front line.
Russia maintains that its military actions in Ukraine are part of a “special military operation” intended to counter NATO expansion. Ukraine, meanwhile, has labelled it a full-scale, unprovoked war of aggression.
