Trump issued a rare rebuke of Russian leader Vladimir Putin over the weekend, calling him “crazy” after Russia launched its largest drone attack on Ukraine.

Despite months of US-led diplomacy, the two sides appear no closer to striking a deal to end the three-year-long conflict, triggered by Russia launching its full-scale military offensive in February 2022.

Tens of thousands have been killed, much of east and southern Ukraine destroyed, and Moscow’s army now controls about a fifth of Ukraine’s territory, including the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014.

Moscow’s three major international airports were forced to suspend flights for hours overnight amid the barrage, aviation authorities said.

Ukraine said that Russia launched more than 900 drones in the three days up to Monday. Thirteen civilians were killed in attacks on Sunday, including three children.

Russia’s defence ministry said on Tuesday that those strikes were a response to Ukrainian drone attacks that had caused Russian civilian casualties.

– Agence France-Presse