Zelensky Urges Europe to Send Strong Signal After Deadly Russian Strike on Kyiv

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Western allies to send a “strong joint signal” to Russian President Vladimir Putin after one of the deadliest attacks on Kyiv since the war began.

Russian missiles and drones struck the Ukrainian capital on Thursday, killing at least 23 people, including four children, and leaving a massive crater in a residential block. Several buildings, including the EU mission and a British government office, were also damaged.

In a virtual meeting with European leaders from Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Denmark, Zelensky urged them to “keep the pressure” on Moscow and agree on long-term guarantees for peace. “Putin has not done what he promised. It’s time to move,” Zelensky said. “Only at the level of leaders can this war truly be ended.”

The White House said U.S. President Donald Trump was “not happy” with the news but “not surprised.” Trump has pushed for a ceasefire, though Russia continues to launch heavy aerial attacks.

Rescue teams worked through the rubble in Kyiv as witnesses described the horror. “Glass was flying… we were screaming when the bombs went off,” one resident told AFP. Another survivor said he only escaped by reaching a shelter seconds before the strike.

Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched more than 600 drones and missiles overnight, making it one of the largest barrages since the invasion began in February 2022. A separate Russian drone attack in the Black Sea targeted a Ukrainian naval vessel, killing at least one sailor.

Zelensky condemned the attack as a “deliberate killing of civilians” and called for new sanctions against Moscow. His aides are set to meet with Trump’s team in New York on Friday.

European leaders strongly criticized Russia. French President Emmanuel Macron called the strike “terror and barbarism,” while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer accused Putin of “sabotaging hopes of peace.” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen stressed that “Putin must come to the negotiating table.”

Despite the devastation, the Kremlin said it would continue military operations, insisting it was striking “military infrastructure.” Moscow has demanded Ukraine give up more territory and renounce Western military support as conditions for peace — demands Ukraine has firmly rejected.

Meanwhile, Ukraine said it carried out retaliatory strikes on two major Russian oil refineries overnight.