Ukraine-Russia Conflict: Zelensky Pledges Retaliation Amid Kyiv’s Drone Assault
POLICY WIRE — Kyiv, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to respond to Russia’s continuous bombardment of Kyiv, which has endured strikes for five consecutive days....
POLICY WIRE — Kyiv, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to respond to Russia’s continuous bombardment of Kyiv, which has endured strikes for five consecutive days. Zelensky stated that Russia has deployed nearly 2,000 drones, over 1,600 bombs, and numerous missiles across Ukraine in the past week, promising “just responses to every Russian strike”.
The Kremlin has announced plans for “massive strikes” on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in response to Kyiv’s drone attacks on Russian warehouses and oil and gas facilities. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described this as an “appropriate response” to Ukraine’s “path of escalation”.
In a tragic incident, 38 people were killed in Kyiv after an attack on an ammunition depot caused detonations and a large fire. Russia’s defense ministry claims that its forces suffered 1,600 casualties on Sunday, bringing the total to 1,488,200 since the war began. Additionally, Russia has reportedly lost 12,316 tanks, 25,255 armored fighting vehicles, and 48,883 artillery systems.
The eastern Ukrainian town of Druzhkivka, now only 15 km from Russian forces, faces widespread destruction as Russian troops advance. Civilians like Iryna Litovchenko, who has lost her home, describe the harrowing conditions.
Russia’s Rosatom state nuclear corporation is prioritizing the supply of diesel fuel to the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is operating on backup generators. Rosatom’s head, Alexei Likhachev, emphasized the need to restore external power lines.
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Recent Russian attacks have targeted Ukrainian printing presses and publishing houses, destroying over 12 million books. Viktoria Haida, commercial director of the bombed Konvi publishing firm, believes these attacks are deliberate.
Ukraine’s new defense minister, Yevhen Khmara, is exploring options to close a $27bn funding gap, including seeking additional contributions from allies and considering bringing forward part of a €90bn European loan.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
