Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated on Tuesday his call for Europe to have “its own ballistic missile defense” following the latest wave of Russian attacks on the country, which has left at least thirteen dead and more than a hundred injured.
“It is a large-scale attack and an absolutely clear message from Russia: if Ukraine is not protected from ballistic missile attacks and others, these attacks will continue. Europe needs its own ballistic missile defense so that this war can be brought to an end,” the leader explained.
He emphasized that “the assistance of the United States in supplying missiles for the Patriot systems is absolutely necessary.” “We have the support of our partners and effective responses to today’s attack,” he added in a message posted on social media.
Zelensky echoed the report published by the Ukrainian Air Force, which estimated 73 missiles and 656 drones launched against the country, while expressing condolences to the families of the thirteen dead in these attacks—four in the capital, Kyiv, and nine in Dnipro.
In this regard, he praised the work of emergency service workers responding to the attacks, whose “main target” was Kyiv. “Dozens of residential buildings and other purely civilian infrastructure have been damaged again”, lamented Zelensky, who reported that a four-story residential building suffered severe damage in Dnipro.
“Nine people died in this attack, including a child. 35 people were injured in the city. The whereabouts of six others are unknown. The search will continue as long as necessary,” Zelensky said, confirming damage in other provinces of the country due to the wave of attacks.
Joining the condemnations was Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who argued that “the only reason for this horrible nighttime attack” against Ukraine is that Russian President Vladimir Putin “is a war criminal and a loser who has no cards left to play except terror.”
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“Moscow is losing on the battlefield. No number of missiles can change this. What we can change is Russia’s ability to continue causing terror. I ask partners to act, not just condemn. There are concrete steps that must be taken,” he stated in a message on social media.
Sybiha defended that among these steps are using funds to “buy additional Patriot systems and missiles for Ukraine,” as well as “advancing the anti-missile coalition” and “increasing investments in Ukraine’s long-range capabilities.” Additionally, he called to “increase pressure on Russia with new sanctions, travel bans on combatants, full use of frozen funds, and isolation.”
“Take strategic steps long overdue, such as opening negotiation groups in the European Union (EU) for Ukraine,” he stressed. “The terrorists in Moscow must realize that their brutal attacks will get them nowhere, that the price for their regime will only increase, and that the only way out for Putin is to immediately end this war,” Sybiha emphasized, reiterating that “peace efforts will only succeed when backed by real pressure on Moscow.”
For its part, the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed a “massive attack” against Ukraine with missiles, including hypersonic missiles, and drones, which it described as “a response to terrorist attacks by the Kyiv regime.” It stressed that the targets were “defense industry enterprises,” “fuel and transport infrastructure facilities used by the Armed Forces,” and “military bases.”
“The attack objectives have been achieved. All designated targets have been hit,” concluded the Russian Ministry of Defense, in the context of its attacks against Ukraine following the war unleashed in February 2022 by the invasion order signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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