Russia launched a ballistic missile strike on Kyiv just as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was discussing the Lindsey Graham Bill and tougher sanctions with US congressmen. According to the head of state, at the time of his statement, two people were known to have been killed and others injured. The President called on Washington to step up pressure on Moscow and to help Ukraine defend itself against ballistic missiles.
Briefly about the main points
- Russia launched a ballistic missile attack on Kyiv.
- Zelenskyy reported that two people had been killed and others injured.
- People were trapped in one of the buildings.
- The President called on the US to tighten sanctions and strengthen Ukraine’s missile defence.
What Zelenskyy said about the attack on Kyiv
According to Vladimir Zelensky, the main targets of the Russian attack were Kyiv and civilian infrastructure: residential buildings, a maternity hospital, and energy and logistics facilities.
The President noted that the strike took place at night, whilst people were asleep. He expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and provided an update on the work of the emergency services. At the time of the statement, people were still trapped in one of the buildings, and the air threat remained in some parts of Ukraine.
The figures regarding the two fatalities are as reported by the President. He did not specify the number of casualties in his statement.
The attack took place whilst they were discussing sanctions
Zelenskyy said that a ballistic strike on the capital coincided with his meeting with US congressmen. During the conversation, they discussed Lindsey Graham’s Act and the need to step up the pressure on Russia through sanctions.
«Russia will not end this war without pressure,» the President emphasised.
According to him, the meeting was attended by Brian Fitzpatrick, Michael Quigley, Marcy Kaptur, Jared Golden, Joe Wilson and Gregory Meeks. The Head of State discussed with them how to protect Ukraine from such attacks.
The President linked the continuation of Russian attacks to a lack of international pressure. In his view, Moscow is still counting on being able to resort to ballistic terror.
What actions did Zelenskyy call on the US to take?
The Head of State stated that the United States is in a position to respond forcefully to a Russian attack. He identified two priority areas for assistance:
- ballistic missile interceptors, which are necessary to protect people;
- the implementation of sanctions against Russia and those who help it to make money.
«We need ballistic missile interceptors to protect lives. We need to implement sanctions against Russia and those who are helping it to make money,» said Zelenskyy.
The President thanked representatives of both American parties for their willingness to support Ukraine. Following the attack, he called for the defence of Ukrainian cities to be strengthened and for greater sanctions pressure to be brought to bear on the aggressor.
