Kremlin attacks on Ukraine intensify, killing 14 in Donetsk

Russia launched a devastating attack on Ukraine yesterday, killing at least 14 people and injuring dozens more, hours after Donald Trump defended Vladimir Putin and said the Kremlin leader was "doing what anybody would do".

- Luke Harding

Two ballistic missiles hit the centre of Dobropillia in the eastern Donetsk region. Fire engulfed a five-storey apartment building. As emergency services arrived, Russia launched another strike on the same area. Eleven civilians were killed, with five children among the 30 injured.

Writing on social media, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the "vile and inhuman intimidation tactic often used by the Russians". Separately, three people died and seven were injured in a drone attack in the city of Bohodukhiv, in the Kharkiv region.

Russia's relentless bombardment of Ukrainian cities has intensified after a torrid week in which Trump has pulled the plug on intelligence sharing with Ukraine and halted the supply of US weapons. These hostile moves mean the alarm system that warns Ukrainian civilians of incoming enemy missiles is less effective. Asked if Putin was taking advantage of US aid pauses, Trump on Friday acknowledged Ukraine was experiencing a "tremendous pounding".