Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly rebuked the international community on Wednesday, saying the response to Russia’s relentless attacks on civilian areas has been insufficient. In a social‑media statement, Zelenskyy warned that Moscow must not believe it can continue missile and drone terror into the winter without facing consequences.
Escalating attacks on Ukrainian civilians
At the end of August, Russia launched a week‑long campaign of nighttime and daylight strikes on Kyiv, marking the heaviest sustained bombardment of the capital since the war began more than four years ago. The missile and drone onslaught has continued into September, with officials saying the goal is to erode civilian morale.
The United Nations reported that July saw the highest number of Ukrainian civilian casualties since March 2022, with 437 killed and more than 2,600 wounded. Overall, the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission estimates that more than 16,800 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and over 51,000 wounded since the invasion started.
Recent deadly strikes
Overnight into Wednesday, Russian forces killed at least two people and wounded seven in attacks across six Ukrainian regions. In Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district, a drone struck a 22‑story residential building, damaging the 11th floor and igniting a fire on the 12th. Olha Smal, a 62‑year‑old resident on the 12th floor, described how the blast threw her across her kitchen and set a bedroom ablaze, while her pregnant neighbor was also injured.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it hit a drone‑factory warehouse in Kyiv and struck logistical facilities in the southern port city of Mykolaiv, as well as fuel reservoirs and an electric substation there. The ministry also said a ship bound for Odesa carrying military cargo was hit, and a border crossing facility at Starokozache (Moldova) was attacked, killing two people.
Ukrainian retaliation
Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine is responding with daily long‑range strikes deep inside Russian territory. The latest Ukrainian attacks targeted the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk in Russia’s Krasnodar region, striking a naval base, an oil‑loading terminal, military port facilities, and warships carrying cruise missiles, according to the Ukrainian president.
Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev reported that four people, including a child, were killed and 29 injured in the drone attack on Novorossiysk. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses downed 596 Ukrainian drones from late Tuesday through early Wednesday.
Zelenskyy’s plea for greater pressure
In his statement, Zelenskyy emphasized that “there has been too little response from the international community to these strikes, which are taking people’s lives practically every day.” He called on nations to step up economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation of Moscow, arguing that stronger pressure is essential to deter further civilian suffering.
While existing sanctions have not halted the invasion, Zelenskyy’s appeal underscores the urgency of coordinated action to protect innocent Ukrainians and to signal that aggression will not be tolerated.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
