TRANSCRIPT
Rescuers search for survivors in Ukraine's capital.
Some, reporting the sounds of mobile phones ringing beneath the rubble.
Overnight, Russia launched what is said to be its largest attack on Kyiv in nine months.
At least 12 people were killed, and another 90 wounded.
This aid worker says the city is reeling.
"People are in shock. They are scared. They can't recover from what happened. So, now, everyone is trying to help one another. A lot of fear, anxiety, shock. It just happened at night."
Russia's bombardment kept residents on edge for about 11 hours, as loud explosions reverberated around the city.
Fires broke out in garages, and falling metal struck vehicles.
The attack has drawn a rare rebuke from US President Donald Trump.
REPORTER: "Mr. President, this morning in a Truth Social post, you used the words, 'Vladimir, STOP!' That seemed like a slightly different message, a personal message. What is your level of frustration with President Putin?"
TRUMP: "I didn't like last night. I wasn't happy with it. And we're in the midst of talking peace and missiles were fired. And I was not happy with it."
Mr Trump maintains his administration is applying "a lot of pressure" on Russia to end the three-year war.
But such pressure has more visibly been directed at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who Mr Trump has publicly clashed with since February.
This week, Mr Trump has accused the Ukrainian leader of frustrating peace efforts, by refusing to recognise Russia's claim over the Crimean Peninsula, a territory the US president said was "lost years ago."
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte instead says it is Russia, not Ukraine, that needs to move forward in negotiations.
REPORTER: "Do you think the Russian president wants to make peace?"
RUTTER: "I don't know. I've worked with him for 4 years between 2010 and 2014. I stopped trying to read his mind, we'll see but there is something on the table now I think where the Ukrainians are really playing ball and I think the ball is clearly in the Russian court now."
But there is also concern that the US, which has positioned itself as a peace broker, is part of the problem.
Vice President JD Vance has made Washington's stance clear: agree to the US peace framework or it will abandon its efforts.
"We've issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians and it’s time for them to either say 'yes' or for the United States to walk away from this process."
Despite what appears to be a threat to the warring sides, State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce says the US President has been far from rigid in his approach.
REPORTER: "Is the US backed framework on the table the only path towards peace that the administration is considering?"
BRUCE: "You know what I've noticed here about Secretary Rubio and President Trump is flexibility is that no matter what's going on, and even reflecting back on when everyone thought everything was over after President Zelenskyy's visit to the Oval Office, oh, it's over. All of this is done. And it wasn't. And it isn't, because this is about human beings having conversations, negotiating literally existential issues."
In the Oval Office, Mr Trump along with his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, appear to be trying to manage expectations.
During his election campaign, the US leader said he would end the war "on day one", but four months later his promise is yet to be realised.
Now Mr Trump says he has set a personal deadline for reaching a peace settlement.
RUBIO:"We've shown the path forward. We can see the finish line, but both of them have to get there. We're going to do everything we can to help them get there, but they have to ultimately say yes."
TRUMP: "And we are using a lot of pressure on both. You know, if you think we're just in there because we're nice people, and we are nice people, but we're using a lot pressure on them."
Mr Trump is also quick to shift blame.
"This isn't my war. This is Biden's war. This is a war that Biden was president when this war happened. But I'm trying to put out the fire."
As bombs rained down on Kyiv, Mr Zelenskyy cut short an official trip to South Africa to return home.
But while hosting the Ukrainian leader, President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasised the significance of global collaboration in bringing an end to the war.
"We believe that the US has an important role to play, as does Europe, and indeed as other countries as well who have been making a number of initiatives regarding this war. China and Brazil, as well as the African countries who went to Moscow and Kyiv."
Mr Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, is due in Russia this week where he is expected to hold another round of ceasefire talks with Vladimir Putin.
