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The United States has condemned Russia’s recent missile and drone attacks in Ukraine.

Getting into it: The attacks, which took place over the last few days and continued into Tuesday morning, included a massive Russian bombardment involving nearly 300 Iranian-made attack drones, 18 ballistic missiles, and 7 cruise missiles targeting multiple regions across Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed strikes in Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Odesa, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Donetsk. In Kharkiv, four civilians were killed when a missile hit a postal terminal, and a drone strike on a children’s medical facility caused a fire.

Among the weapons used, one stood out sharply: Russia’s launch of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik ballistic missile, marking its second reported use in combat. According to Russia, the missile targeted an aviation repair facility in Ukraine’s western Lviv region. Russia justified the strike as retaliation for an alleged Ukrainian attempt to hit one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences, an accusation that Kyiv has denied and the United States has dismissed as false.

At an emergency United Nations Security Council session convened by Ukraine, US Deputy Ambassador Tammy Bruce condemned Russia’s actions. “These attacks make a mockery of the cause of peace,” she said, warning that Russia’s strikes “risk expanding and intensifying the war.” Bruce further stated, “At a moment of tremendous potential, due only to President Trump’s unparalleled commitment to peace around the world, both sides should be seeking ways to de-escalate.” She criticized Moscow’s use of the Oreshnik missile near NATO territory and reminded Russia that it had previously voted for a UN resolution calling for an end to the war, adding pointedly: “It would be nice if Russia matched their words with deeds.”

This all comes as the war appears to have no end in sight, with both sides still very far apart on terms to end the war. Russia has reiterated its maximalist demands, including international recognition of its annexation of Ukrainian territories and sweeping security concessions from Kyiv. Ukraine, on the other hand, has insisted on the restoration of its territorial sovereignty and accountability for Russian war crimes, leaving the two sides’ negotiating positions incompatible.