Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia will not seriously consider peace while Ukraine lacks sufficient anti-ballistic defense.
Zelensky said emergency services have been working since overnight at the sites of Russian strikes, which he described as a massive attack involving ballistic and cruise missiles and drones.
The strikes caused destruction in Kyiv and the surrounding region, Odesa and Chernihiv regions. In Kyiv, residential buildings were damaged, including an apartment block whose upper floors were destroyed, as well as a children’s hospital and a school.
The attack killed 12 people in Kyiv and one person in the surrounding region, while around 40 people were injured, Zelensky said.
In Odesa region, drones targeted a checkpoint on the border with Moldova, while in Chernihiv region, Russian forces struck gas infrastructure.
“Russia won’t seriously consider peace while Ukraine lacks sufficient anti-ballistic capability,” Zelensky said, stressing the need for additional air defense systems and interceptors.
He added that Ukraine is working daily on the FREYJA program but said interceptors cannot yet replace Patriot systems, which Ukraine needs on a daily basis.
