Zelenskyy Urges Western Allies for More Weapons After Russian Strikes

Russian forces launched new airstrikes in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, resulting in at least 21 people being injured during a second consecutive nighttime assault. The attacks targeted high-rise apartment buildings, as reported by local authorities.

The bombings occurred on Saturday night in the Shevchenkivsky district, situated to the north of Kharkiv’s city center. Local Governor Oleh Syniehubov specified that the strikes caused various degrees of damage to multiple residential structures, including 16-story and 9-story buildings. The city council confirmed damage to 18 different buildings overall.

Among the injured were children, including an 8-year-old, as per statements from both Syniehubov and Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov. In response to the threat, Terekhov noted that 60 residents were evacuated from one of the directly-hit high-rise buildings.

Since Russia initiated its large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Kharkiv has been repeatedly targeted. Just a night before these latest strikes, 15 individuals were harmed in attacks on three neighborhoods, including children aged 10 and 12, Terekhov revealed.

Ukrainian authorities indicated that KAB-type aerial glide bombs, a modified Soviet weapon, were used in both recent assaults, which have wreaked havoc on eastern Ukraine.

In light of these escalating attacks, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the airstrikes and made an impassioned plea for more military support from Ukraine’s Western allies. He emphasized the urgent need for full long-range capabilities to safeguard lives and maintain security.

Zelenskyy stated on social media platform X that his administration is actively working to persuade partners to deliver the necessary equipment. He is also preparing for a week of intensive diplomacy in the United States aimed at bolstering support for Ukraine in the ongoing conflict.

Additionally, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov disclosed that conversations are underway with European partners concerning the acquisition of Swedish-made Gripen and Eurofighter Typhoon jets. He noted that commitments have already been established for the delivery of U.S.-made F-16s and French Mirage jets.

In a broader context, Russian military activity included the launch of 80 Shahed drones and two missiles directed toward Ukraine overnight into Sunday, according to the Ukrainian air force. Ukrainian defenses successfully intercepted 71 drones, while six others were brought down due to electronic warfare countermeasures.

Tragically, a Russian drone attack in the southern city of Nikopol resulted in the deaths of a 12-year-old girl and a woman after their passenger vehicle was struck. Two additional individuals, including a 4-year-old child, sustained injuries in the incident.

Meanwhile, in the eastern Donetsk region, an airstrike on Sunday morning caused damage to homes in Sloviansk, trapping one woman under debris and injuring two of her neighbors, regional prosecutors reported.

On Saturday, two miners lost their lives, and another suffered injuries after a Russian shell struck a mine located west of Pokrovsk, as confirmed by local and energy officials. Both Pokrovsk and Sloviansk have been under constant threat from Russian forces, who are progressively trying to capture Ukraine’s industrial eastern territories.

In southern Ukraine, a drone strike in Kherson wounded two civilians in the morning. Reports later indicated that Russian attacks led to at least four additional injuries in other areas of the province.

Russian drone assaults were also carried out on energy infrastructure in Ukraine’s central Poltava region and the northern city of Shostka, officials reported. Shostka is located in the Sumy region, which borders Russia’s Kursk province, recently subjected to a notable Ukrainian military operation targeting to create a buffer zone against further cross-border strikes.

Local military authorities indicated that approximately 10,000 residents had evacuated from the nearby town of Hlukhiv due to the rise in Russian shelling, which included around 70 percent of the town’s children following government advisories to leave areas close to the border.

The situation is dire as Ukrainian troops also launched drone strikes against the Russian-occupied Luhansk province, resulting in fatalities and injuries among Russian emergency personnel, according to reports from the Russian Emergencies Ministry.

The Belgorod region in Russia, close to the Ukrainian border, has witnessed shelling that left at least 12 individuals injured, highlighting the cross-border volatility stemming from this ongoing conflict.