Kyiv rejects Trump's call for new leader as drone strikes hit Russian data hub

Kyiv rejected calls from Washington to replace its president and conditionally agreed to pause energy strikes, even as Ukrainian drones disabled a key Russian technology hub for the third time in four days. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated Sunday that only Russia bears responsibility for the war, writing on X, "Ukraine will be ready to stop striking Russian oil refineries if Russia stops striking our energy infrastructure." US President Donald Trump countered on Saturday by blaming Zelenskyy for rising fuel costs and declaring that Ukraine needs a new leader to secure a peace deal.

A drone strike on Sunday damaged a Yandex data center in Vladimir, east of Moscow, and completely shut down its operations. The outage disrupted digital services across dozens of Russian cities and extended into Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Armenia. Users in those regions lost access to taxi booking and banking platforms. The company's cloud division confirmed the damage on Telegram and reported no injuries.

Kyiv has targeted the company's facilities in rapid succession. A drone attack on Thursday disabled a Yandex data center in the Ryazan region. The following day, Ukrainian drones struck a major facility in the Kaluga region, partially taking it offline. Yandex operates Russia's most popular search engine and plays a central role in the country's artificial intelligence sector.

The infrastructure campaign intensifies as diplomatic tensions rise over energy markets. Trump struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday to purchase Russian diesel, aiming to lower domestic fuel prices. Ukrainian and European officials reacted with dismay to the agreement, warning that the revenue will directly fund Moscow's military operations. Trump has repeatedly urged Zelenskyy to end the strikes on Russian energy sites.

Ukrainian officials firmly pushed back against Washington's interference. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on Saturday that Zelenskyy is steering the nation through a fight for survival. He noted that the president retains full backing from the Ukrainian public, adding, "Statements from abroad only confirm that he is doing his job well."

Violence continued across multiple regions over the weekend. In the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, a Russian bombing on Saturday killed 23 people, including four children. More than 30 others were injured, with eight remaining in hospitals, according to Ivan Fedorov, the former regional head. In Russia's Bryansk border region, a Ukrainian drone strike killed one man and wounded two women, local officials confirmed Sunday.

The two nations remain locked in a long-range aerial war while their ground forces face a stalemate on the front line. This cycle of attacks and retaliation has now stretched more than 4 1/2 years since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion. Both sides continue to strike each other's critical infrastructure as diplomatic efforts stall.