• Source:JND
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr on Sunday issued a fresh call for tougher global action against Moscow after Russia launched one of the heaviest overnight barrages on Ukraine’s capital and several other regions since the start of the full-scale war in 2022.

According to Ukrainian authorities, Russia fired nearly 500 drones and over 40 missiles in a coordinated attack that lasted more than 12 hours. Kyiv and surrounding areas were the main targets, but strikes also hit Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, and Odesa regions.

Ukraine’s air force claimed it shot down 568 drones and 43 missiles, but several slipped through defences, killing at least four civilians, including a 12-year-old girl, and injuring more than 60 people. In Kyiv, a cardiology institute, a bread production facility, a tire factory, and multiple apartment blocks sustained damage. Emergency services rushed to rescue residents trapped under rubble, while thousands sheltered in underground metro stations. “This was savage terror, a deliberate attempt to cripple cities and terrorise people,” Zelenskyysaid.

Zelenskyy’s Indirect Message To India

In a strongly worded statement, President Zelenskyyurged the international community, including India, to cut economic ties with Moscow. Without naming New Delhi directly, he underlined that “anyone who wants peace must halt Russian imports.” He warned that the Kremlin benefits from oil and energy revenues, as well as its so-called “shadow fleet,” which helps bypass sanctions. “As long as Moscow earns money, it will keep fighting and killing,” he added.

Ukraine has been lobbying global powers, including the US, Europe, the G7 and G20 nations, to impose fresh punitive sanctions. Zelenskyyalso said he supports US President Donald Trump’s recent calls for a harder stance against Russia.

The strikes triggered alarm beyond Ukraine’s borders. Poland scrambled fighter jets after detecting possible incursions into its airspace. Flights were temporarily suspended in Lublin and Rzeszów, both near the Ukrainian border. The Danish defence ministry reported drones flying over several military facilities and airports, prompting NATO to boost surveillance in the Baltic region. A NATO spokesperson confirmed that air-defence frigates and intelligence aircraft have been deployed. Meanwhile, Britain announced plans to strengthen Europe’s defences by building a “drone wall” to counter Russian aerial threats.

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Global Condemnation And Next Steps

The attack came just as the United Nations General Assembly week concluded. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday said Moscow is open to negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, stressing that Russia's security concerns and the rights of Russian-speaking people must be addressed before any settlement. "As President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly emphasised, Russia has been and remains open to negotiations on eliminating the root causes of the conflict," Lavrov said at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

"Russia's security and its vital interest must be reliably agreed. The rights of Russians and Russian-speaking people in the territories that remain under the control of the Kyiv regime must be restored in full. On this basis, we are ready to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine."

Lavrov also accused Western nations of ignoring Moscow's security concerns and continuing NATO's expansion in violation of earlier assurances. "Neither Europeans realise the gravity of the situation nor are they willing to negotiate honestly. NATO continues to expand right up to our borders, contrary to assurances given to Soviet leaders not to advance a single inch to the east," he said.
 

The Ukrainian President also reiterated that Kyiv will continue to resist but insisted the war can only end if Moscow is deprived of its financial resources. For Kyiv, the latest attack underscores both the scale of destruction and the urgency of international solidarity.