Journalism of Courage
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Russian strikes lasting more than 12 hours killed at least four people and injured more than 70 across Ukraine, the BBC reported.
Zelenskyy said the deaths happened in Kyiv, where many of the projectiles were aimed, and the victims included a 12-year-old girl. According to him, the attack involved nearly 600 drones and dozens of missiles targeting seven regions.
“This attack shows Russia wants to continue fighting and killing,” the president said, calling the strikes “vile.” He added that Ukraine would respond and was counting on a strong reaction from Europe and the United States.
Ukraine’s Defence Minister Igor Klymenko said around 100 civilian sites had been damaged nationwide. Emergency services reported that a nurse and a patient died when Kyiv’s Institute of Cardiology was hit. Zelenskyy said apartment blocks, a large bakery and a rubber factory were also targeted.
Regional officials reported further damage. In Zaporizhzhia, Governor Ivan Fedorov said 34 people were hurt, including three children. In Sumy, a 59-year-old man was killed. Other strikes were reported in Khmelnytskyi, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv and Odesa.
Zelenskyy linked the bombardment to the close of the UN General Assembly week, saying, “This is how Russia declares its real position.” He welcomed US President Donald Trump’s warning of tougher sanctions on Russia and his call for European countries to reduce imports of Russian oil and gas.
The BBC said Trump recently suggested for the first time that Ukraine could retake its occupied land as Russia’s economy struggled with the war.
Meanwhile, Poland scrambled jets on Sunday after Russia struck western Ukraine. The Polish military described it as a preventative action. Drones have also been seen over Denmark’s military sites and airports in recent days. NATO has announced plans to step up surveillance in the Baltic Sea, including deploying an air defence frigate.
Some NATO states, including Poland, Estonia and Romania, have accused Russia of airspace violations. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the UN General Assembly that Moscow had “no intention” of attacking EU or NATO countries but warned there would be a “decisive response” to what he called aggression against Russia, according to the BBC.
