Putin testing the world with brazen strikes on Kyiv and other cities, says Zelenskyy
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Russia has intensified its strikes on Ukraine. Putin is trying to test whether the world will tolerate his aggression, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The President said that after Russia's massive attack on Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Sumy, and other communities, doctors are treating the wounded.
According to him, the attacks over the past day covered Kyiv, Sumy, Kremenchuk, Odesa, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, and Zaporizhzhia.
In the capital, rescue workers are still clearing rubble. Bodies may remain under the debris. Zelenskyy also mentioned damage to the Cabinet of Ministers building.
Overall, more than 40 people were injured across the country, including 20 in Kyiv.
Zelenskyy expressed condolences to the families of those killed. He added that in the capital alone, the air raid alert lasted more than seven and a half hours. Kyiv was one of the main targets of Russian drones that night.
Reaction of partners to the attack
According to the President, what matters now is that Ukraine's partners gave a broad response to the strike.
"Clearly, Russia is trying to inflict pain on Ukraine, and the strikes are becoming more brazen. This is a clear sign that Putin is testing the world – whether they will accept it, whether they will tolerate it," he said.
Zelenskyy emphasized that statements from leaders, countries, and institutions must be accompanied by concrete action. This means sanctions against Russia and individuals linked to it, as well as tariffs and other trade restrictions with Russia.
"Their losses must be felt. That is what convinces. And also our long-range capabilities. Putin does not want negotiations; he is clearly avoiding them. So fuel shortages in Russia and other economic problems are a logical response to Moscow's refusal to agree to a ceasefire or a leaders’ meeting," Zelenskyy said.
Russian strike on September 7
On the night of September 7, Russia launched a large-scale strike on Ukraine, using more than 800 air attack weapons, including cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and drones.
This time, Russia set a grim record for the number of drones used. Half of them were Shahed type.
In Kyiv, drones hit residential buildings in the Sviatoshynskyi and Darnytskyi districts. For the first time, they also struck a government building in the city center. The NYT wrote that the attack on the Cabinet of Ministers may indicate a breach in Kyiv's most powerful air defense system.
At least 20 people were injured in the capital. Two others were killed — a mother and her three-month-old son. Medics also performed an emergency childbirth on a 24-year-old woman who was injured during the strike.
Explosions were also reported in Odesa, Kryvyi Rih, and Kremenchuk. In Kremenchuk, a bridge across the Dnipro River was damaged, though traffic has already resumed.
Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry issued a cynical version of the strikes, attempting to justify the targeting of Ukrainian cities.
For more details on the aftermath, read RBC-Ukraine's report.
