Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has sharply criticized what he calls the “silence” of the United States following Russia’s most extensive aerial attack since the war began.
Overnight, Russia launched 367 missiles and drones targeting 22 regions across Ukraine, killing at least 12 people, including three children, and injuring dozens more. Rescuers responded in over 30 cities and villages to the widespread destruction.
Zelensky warned that without “strong pressure on the Russian leadership,” Moscow’s brutality will continue unabated. He urged the international community to impose tougher sanctions, stating, “The world knows all the weaknesses of the Russian economy. It is possible to stop the war, but only through the necessary force of pressure on Russia. Putin must be forced to think not about launching missiles, but about ending the war”.
Despite recent peace talks in Istanbul, no ceasefire agreement was reached, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that Moscow no longer desires a ceasefire. Zelensky’s critique of “American silence” likely refers to Washington’s reluctance to impose additional sanctions that might compel Russia to negotiate seriously.
The attack came a day after one of the heaviest strikes on Kyiv since the war’s start, underscoring Russia’s ongoing campaign of aerial bombardment. Ukraine’s Air Force reported shooting down 45 cruise missiles and destroying 266 drones, but the scale of the assault inflicted significant civilian casualties and infrastructure damage.
