Zelenskyy urges more pressure on Putin after massive overnight attack on Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the international community to impose new sanctions on Russia following a record-scale overnight attack that killed at least 10 people, including children, and injured dozens more across multiple Ukrainian regions.

In a statement on May 25, Zelenskyy urged world leaders—particularly from the United States and Europe—to take decisive action against Moscow in response to the massive Russian strike involving 298 drones and 69 missiles, Caliber.Az reports, citing Ukrainian media.

Every Russian attack on Ukraine is a sufficient reason for new sanctions, the President noted, arguing that Russian President Vladimir Putin must be forced to think about ending the war.

"Today, rescue workers were operating in more than 30 Ukrainian cities and villages after a massive Russian strike. The targets of the Russians included Kyiv and the region, as well as the Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil, Chernihiv, Sumy, Odesa, Poltava, Dnipro, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, and Cherkasy regions."

"Deliberate strikes on ordinary cities. Residential buildings have been destroyed and damaged. In Kyiv, dormitories of the university's history faculty were damaged. There were hits on enterprises. Unfortunately, there are fatalities, including children. My condolences," the president added.

Zelenskyy emphasised that every such terrorist Russian strike is a sufficient reason for new sanctions against Russia.

"The world may go on a weekend, but the war continues regardless of weekdays or weekends. This cannot be ignored. America's silence, the silence of others in the world, only encourages Putin," the President of Ukraine stated.

Zelenskyy stressed that without strong pressure on the Russian leadership, this brutality from Moscow cannot be stopped. He called on the United States, Europe, and other countries to increase pressure on Russia.

"Determination matters now – the determination of the United States, the determination of European countries, of all those in the world who want peace. The world knows all the weaknesses of the Russian economy. The war can be stopped, but only through sufficient pressure on Russia. Putin must be forced to think not about launching missiles, but about ending the war," he said.

To recall, on the night of May 24 to 25, the Russian army launched a massive strike on Ukraine, firing 298 drones and 69 missiles of various types, including ballistic ones. Air defence forces shot down 45 missiles and neutralised 266 drones.

This attack became a record in terms of the number of drones launched against Ukraine. The previous record was 273 drones on the night of May 18.

Several regions were hit, including Kyiv and the surrounding area. It is known that more than 10 people were killed as a result of the Russian attack, and dozens were injured.

In the Zhytomyr region, the Russians killed three children aged 8, 12, and 17. Another 10 people were injured.

By Khagan Isayev