President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Moscow is preparing to escalate the war, following Russia’s massive overnight attack on Ukraine. Zaporizhzhia was the hardest hit: as of this morning, six deaths and at least 19 injuries had been confirmed there. The President called on partners to tighten sanctions against the Russian defence industry and to supply air defence systems.
Briefly about the main points
- Six people have been killed in Zaporizhzhia, and at least 19 residents have been injured.
- The city was attacked with KN-23 missiles, «Zircon» missiles and guided aerial bombs.
- An infectious diseases hospital and several businesses have been damaged in Kyiv.
- Air defence forces shot down or intercepted 98 of the 120 drones launched.
- The President is asking his partners to tighten sanctions and step up the supply of air defence systems.
Buildings, facilities and garages have been damaged in Zaporizhzhia
Russian forces launched a combined attack on the city, using North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles and anti-ship missiles «Zircon»… and guided bombs. Zelenskyy described the attack as brutal and stated that it had been planned to cause maximum damage to civilian infrastructure.".
Industrial and infrastructure facilities, high-rise buildings, non-residential buildings and a garage co-operative were damaged. Fires broke out in the city and there were power cuts.
Among the dead are five men and one woman. Law enforcement agencies have launched an investigation into the war crime that caused the deaths, whilst emergency services continue to extinguish the fire at one of the sites hit by the strikes.
A hospital has been damaged in Kyiv, and substations have been damaged in Kharkiv and Kherson
One of the main areas of focus night-time strike The Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia regions were targeted, according to the Air Force. In the capital, rockets damaged an infectious diseases hospital and several businesses.
In Kharkiv and Kherson, strikes on electrical substations have been reported, leading to power cuts. Emergency teams are working to restore the power supply.
Russian forces also attacked targets in the Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk and Mykolaiv regions. Details of the consequences of these strikes are still being clarified.
Air defence forces shot down or intercepted 98 drones
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia has deployed 120 attack and support drones of the Shahed, «Gerbera» and «Parody» types. Most of the Shaheds launched were jet-powered.
Air defence forces shot down or neutralised 98 drones. Air strikes were recorded at 21 locations, and debris was found at a further five.
«Zircon» missiles and «Iskander-M»/KN-23 ballistic missiles were launched from the Kursk, Rostov, Voronezh and Oryol regions of Russia. Drones were flown from the areas around Kursk, Millerovo, Orel and Primorsko-Akhtarsk, as well as from the occupied territories of Donetsk and Crimea.
The President called for increased pressure to be brought to bear on the Russian defence industry
Zelenskyy linked Russia’s ramp-up of ballistic missile production, the use of North Korean weapons and the preparations for a new mobilisation, reflecting the Kremlin’s intention to continue escalating the war.
The President urged partners not to wait for a further escalation of attacks and to impose additional sanctions immediately against companies operating within Russia’s military-industrial complex.
He also emphasised the need to increase the supply of air defence systems to Ukraine. According to Zelenskyy, sanctions and the strengthening of air defences are necessary to give diplomacy and peace a chance.
