President Donald Trump criticized Russia’s Vladimir Putin Thursday for “very bad timing” and pleaded “Vladimir, STOP!” after a bloody new attack on Ukraine killed several civilians and wounded dozens overnight in the capital of Kyiv.

Trump called the brutal missile strikes “not necessary” in a post on his social media site but stopped short of demanding the Russian strongman agree to an immediate ceasefire or halt attacks on non-military targets in Ukraine.

“I am not happy with the Russian strikes on Kyiv. Not necessary, and very bad timing,” Trump wrote on his social media site. “Vladimir, STOP!”

“Let’s get the peace deal done,” he added.

When a reporter shouted a question about whether Putin would heed his plea, Trump replied: “I think he will.”

The bloodiest attack on Kyiv since last summer came just hours after Trump harshly criticized Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for refusing to unilaterally recognize the Russian occupation of Crimea and forego future NATO membership before peace talks even start.

Zelenskyy, who cut short a diplomatic trip to South Africa Thursday over the attack, called on the U.S. and Europe to step up pressure on Russia to accept an immediate ceasefire, laying the groundwork for possible peace talks.

“Greater pressure on (Russia) … can bring the two sides closer,” Zelenskyy said.

Russia has stepped up its attacks on Ukrainian civilians in the weeks since Trump started accusing Zelenskyy of obstructing his push to quickly end the war, which started when Russia invaded its neighbor three years ago.

It unleashed a new barrage of missiles and drones overnight, killing at least nine people and injuring more than 70 in its deadliest assault on the Ukrainian capital since last July and just as peace efforts are coming to a head.

Ukraine said Russia fired 66 ballistic and cruise missiles, four plane-launched air-to-surface missiles, and 145 Shahed and decoy drones at Kyiv and four other regions of Ukraine.

Rescue workers with flashlights scoured the charred rubble of partly collapsed homes as the blue lights of emergency vehicles lit up the dark city streets.

The deadly attack came just hours after Trump harangued Zelenskyy in a long and detailed social media post for not agreeing to a U.S.-proposed framework for peace talks that includes several Kremlin-friendly proposals.

Trump and his top aides have threatened to “walk away” from the conflict if both sides don’t agree to peace quickly.

Ukraine is resisting giving up the approximately 20% of its territory that Russia has seized, demands that Trump has apparently conceded to Putin.

Putin has mostly shrugged off Trump’s demands for rapid progress and rejected calls for an immediate ceasefire.

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