A series of Russian attacks across Ukraine has left multiple civilians dead and injured, leading President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to urge Kyiv’s allies to increase pressure on Moscow.
In Dnipro, rescue operations concluded Friday after Russian missile strikes killed five people, including a child, and injured more than 20 others. Meanwhile, in Kostiantynivka, near the front line in the Donetsk region, a Russian glide bomb on Saturday claimed one life and injured three, according to the regional governor.
Elsewhere, Russian shelling took two lives in a small town west of the Ukrainian-held southern city of Kherson. In Kyiv, a drone struck a high-rise apartment building on Friday, tragically killing a teenage girl.
In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy remarked that these attacks underscore Russia’s determination to persist with its aggression. “These are conditions in which the lack of stronger decisions from partners to support Ukraine only encourages [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to invest further in terror,” he said.
“The world can stop the escalation of war. Abstractions and words are not enough for this. Concrete steps are needed,” Zelenskiy added, emphasizing the urgency of increased military support.
In recent weeks, Zelenskiy has consistently urged Ukraine’s Western allies to expedite deliveries of long-range weaponry and advanced air defense systems to protect Ukrainian cities from relentless attacks. Ukraine has also requested permission to use long-range weapons on targets deep within Russian territory.
The plea comes as the war’s escalation impacts civilians in widely separated areas of the country, highlighting the urgency of international support to counter Russia’s intensified aggression.