Zelenskyy Calls for Stronger Global Action as Russian Strikes on Civilians Persist
Zelenskyy criticizes weak global response to Russian attacks on civilians, citing recent deaths and urging stronger measures before winter.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticized the international community for what he describes as an insufficient response to Russia's intensifying strikes on civilian areas. His remarks came after a series of attacks that have killed and wounded numerous people across Ukraine.
In a social media post, Zelenskyy stated that the response to these daily strikes, which claim lives, has been too weak. He argued that Moscow must not enter the winter season believing it can conduct missile and drone attacks without facing consequences.
The latest wave of Russian attacks, which occurred overnight into Wednesday, involved ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones targeting six regions. Ukrainian officials reported at least two deaths and seven injuries. In Kyiv, a drone strike on a residential building in the Darnytskyi district damaged an upper floor and started a fire, injuring four people, including a pregnant woman.
A resident of the building described the fear and uncertainty of living under constant threat, noting that one never knows what might happen from one day to the next.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its forces struck a drone factory warehouse in Kyiv and other logistical targets, including facilities in the southern port city of Mykolaiv and a border crossing with Moldova. Ukrainian authorities confirmed that the strike on the border crossing killed two people.
Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is responding with its own long-range attacks on infrastructure inside Russia. He mentioned a recent strike on the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, which he said hit a naval base, an oil terminal, and warships. Russian regional authorities reported that this attack killed four people, including a child, and wounded 29 others.
The United Nations reported last month that civilian casualties in Ukraine were the highest in July since March 2022, with hundreds killed and thousands wounded. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission has recorded over 16,800 civilian deaths and more than 51,000 injuries since the start of the full-scale invasion.