Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy demanded that the United States respond to a "brutally savage" Russian strike that he said left more than 20 people dead.
"Directly on people. Ordinary civilians. At the very moment when pensions were being disbursed," Zelenskyy said of the attack in a post on X.
The strike hit the rural town of Yarova in the Donetsk region. While Russia has denied targeting civilians, tens of thousands have been killed since Moscow’s February 2022 invasion, Reuters reported.
RUSSIA LAUNCHES BARRAGE OF DRONE STRIKES ON UKRAINE, RESULTING IN FOUR CIVILIAN DEATHS
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy gestures next to President Donald Trump during a meeting at the Oval Office of the White House, amid negotiations to end the Russian war in Ukraine, in Washington, D.C., Aug. 18, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
"The Russians continue destroying lives while avoiding new strong sanctions and new strong blows," Zelenskyy added. "The world must not remain silent. The world must not remain idle... Strong actions are needed to make Russia stop bringing death."
Donetsk Gov. Vadym Filashkin said the strike was not a "military operation," but rather that it was "pure terrorism," according to the Kyiv Independent, which cited his Telegram channel.
Zelenskyy specifically called out the U.S., Europe and the G20 in his post on X following the strike, which included a graphic video of the carnage.
Notably, Zelenskyy did not name NATO. His demand for action from Europe and the G20 comes as NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte travels to the United Kingdom, where he will attend a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, according to NATO.
Donetsk Gov. Vadym Filashkin posted a photo of the aftermath of a Russian strike on a rural village, calling the attack an act of "pure terrorism." (@vadym.filashkin/Instagram)
The White House has yet to respond to the strike or Zelenskyy’s demand. However, the Trump administration has made ending the brutal Russia-Ukraine war a priority, with President Donald Trump meeting with both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Last month, Trump and Putin met face-to-face in the first meeting between the Russian leader and a U.S. president since 2021. After the high-stakes meeting, Trump and Putin seemed confident that they had made progress toward peace despite not reaching the ceasefire deal that many had hoped for.
President Donald Trump greets Russia's President Vladimir Putin, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/The Associated Press)
ZELENSKYY ACCUSES TRUMP OF GIVING PUTIN 'WHAT HE WANTED' AT ALASKA SUMMIT
Zelenskyy seemed less convinced, and he recently accused Trump of giving Putin "what he wanted" at the Alaska summit.
"It's a pity that Ukraine was not there, because I think President Trump gave Putin what he wanted," Zelenskyy told ABC’s Martha Raddatz on Sept. 7.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and NATO but did not receive immediate responses.