Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged to increase pressure on Russia as Moscow ramped up attacks on Ukraine overnight amid global efforts to stop the devastating war.
“Last night, the Russian army set one of its insane anti-records. They targeted civilian infrastructure facilities, residential buildings, and our people,” Zelenskyy said Thursday in a post on X.
Russia launched 574 strike drones and 40 missiles against Ukraine on Wednesday night, killing at least one person and injuring 18, Ukrainian authorities said. Moscow targeted cities far from the front line, including Mukachevo, Lviv and Lutsk, with damage reported in other cities including the capital of Kyiv.
One of the missile attacks reportedly hit an American electronics manufacturer site in Mukachevo, which has around 800 people on its night shift, an employee of the company told The Kyiv Independent.
“It was a regular civilian business, supported by American investment, producing everyday items like coffee machines. And yet, it was also a target for the Russians. This is very telling,” Zelenskyy said in his social media post.
“The Russians carried out this attack as if nothing has changed at all, as if there are no global efforts to stop this war. This requires a response. There is still no signal from Moscow that they truly intend to engage in substantive negotiations and end this war. Pressure is needed. Strong sanctions, strong tariffs,” added Zelenskyy.
The massive attack comes after a week of intensified peace efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders. Despite the diplomatic exertions, including Trump’s Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin last Friday, an actual ceasefire, let alone peace, seems a distant prospect.
The Kremlin chief hasn’t backed down from his maximalist demands to end the Russian invasion: for Ukraine to become a neutral state, give up additional land in the eastern part of the country, drastically reduce its military, and abandon its aspiration to join NATO. Putin has also not confirmed direct talks with Zelenskyy, which Trump said he began arranging.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday made clear that Moscow is not shifting on what if considers acceptable security guarantees for Ukraine, which is that both Russia and China will have a say, an unthinkable scenario for Ukraine and its allies.
Ukraine sees as an ultimate security guarantee against another Russian attack membership in NATO and the EU, which Moscow opposes.
Trump personally told Zelenskyy and European leaders during their Monday meeting in Washington that Kyiv will have “Article 5-like” NATO protections, but omitted any specifics. He insisted there would be no U.S. troops on the ground in Ukraine and the protection would be largely provided by European allies.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance doubled downed on that claim on Wednesday when he said that European governments will have to pay “a lion’s share” of costs for Ukraine’s security guarantees.
“No matter what form this takes, the Europeans are going to have to take the lion’s share of the burden. It’s their continent, its their security, and the president has been very clear — they are going to have to step up here,” said Vance in an interview with Fox News.
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