Moscow has launched a fresh wave of deadly attacks on Ukraine, defying a public call from US President Donald Trump urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to “STOP!” the aggression.

At least eight people lost their lives during overnight drone assaults across multiple regions in Ukraine, coming just one day after Russia carried out its most lethal strike operation since last summer.

One such drone strike hit the eastern city of Pavlohrad on Friday, killing three individuals, including a 76-year-old woman and a child, while injuring 10 others, according to Dnipropetrovsk Governor Serhiy Lysak.

In southern Ukraine’s Kherson region, two people died after strikes hit essential infrastructure and residential zones, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported. Meanwhile, two other fatalities were confirmed in eastern Donetsk, and one person was killed in Kharkiv in the northeast, local authorities said.

On Thursday, Russia unleashed a significant missile and drone barrage against the capital, Kyiv, targeting multiple districts. At least 12 people were killed and 87 were wounded. Ukrainian emergency workers said Friday that their search through debris at an apartment complex struck by what officials identified as a North Korean ballistic missile had concluded.

This renewed violence came shortly after President Trump lamented the stagnant peace negotiations. In a Thursday post on Truth Social, he expressed anger and urged Putin to "STOP!” attacking. However, within hours, Trump also stated he believed both sides ultimately desired peace.

On Friday, Trump’s special representative, Steve Witkoff, is set to arrive in Moscow for continued discussions with Putin on a potential resolution to the conflict.

Speaking to CBS News on Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that Moscow is “open to a deal,” but noted that several crucial details still require negotiation and adjustment.

At the start of the week, Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, accusing him of obstructing peace talks. This came after Zelensky reaffirmed that Ukraine’s constitution prohibits recognizing Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Officially acknowledging Crimea as Russian territory would mark a major shift in US policy and could disrupt the long-standing global consensus that borders should not be modified through military force.

As part of efforts to broker an end to the three-year conflict, the US administration has floated the idea of recognizing Russia’s claim over Crimea—a controversial proposal that, according to diplomatic insiders cited by CNN, has caused significant concern among European allies.

The disagreement over Crimea marks the latest in a string of public disputes between Trump and Zelensky regarding the direction of peace efforts.

Though Trump has repeatedly stated he has maintained a firm stance against Putin, on Thursday he pushed back when asked by reporters what Russia had conceded thus far in the war.

“Stopping the war, not taking over the entire country. That’s a major concession,” Trump said.

“We’re applying serious pressure on Russia, and they are aware of it. Some insiders close to the situation recognize it—or else Putin wouldn’t be talking,” he added.

Reporting for this story was contributed by Jennifer Hansler, Alex Marquardt, and Kylie Atwood.