Zelensky urges US to impose new sanctions after 277-drone Russian attack
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia launched 277 attack drones on Ukraine since Saturday and urged Washington to impose new sanctions, calling the strikes terrorism.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia launched 277 attack drones against Ukraine between Saturday and Sunday, 155 of them jet-powered, and urged Ukraine's partners, including the United States, to move quickly on new economic sanctions against Moscow, according to Mediafax. He said the scale of the attacks contradicted Moscow's own recent messages about a possible de-escalation of the war, and accused Russia of terrorism over its choice of targets.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Zelensky said Sunday's strikes on Kyiv alone hit two kindergartens, two schools, an apartment block, a car repair workshop, and several warehouses and communications facilities. "This choice of targets would be called by one word: terrorism," he said.
Zelensky said the strikes killed people and injured dozens, without giving a full total in that message. Independent reporting by Reuters described casualties and damage from Sunday's strikes in Kyiv, Sumy and Kharkiv.
Russia's growing use of jet-powered attack drones adds a further challenge for Ukraine's air defences, Reuters has reported separately, saying the newer drones can fly faster and at altitudes that make them harder for mobile Ukrainian air-defence teams to intercept.
Zelensky separately said Ukrainian forces had struck several Russian military and energy sites, including facilities in the Tula and Voronezh regions and oil facilities in Krasnodar Krai, as well as a target in the Black Sea. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that Kyiv would face consequences for the strikes on Russian territory, CDM reported.
The exchange came as EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said a meeting between Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and his German counterpart Johann Wadephul at the United Nations showed Russia was not interested in peace, CDM reported. Lavrov said afterwards he had learned nothing new from the talks.
What we know
- Zelensky said Russia launched 277 attack drones against Ukraine since Saturday, 155 of them jet-powered, and called for urgent new sanctions on Russia.
- He said the scale of the attack contradicted Moscow's own recent messages about a possible de-escalation of the war.
- He said Sunday's strikes on Kyiv hit two kindergartens, two schools, an apartment block, a car repair workshop, warehouses and communications facilities.
- Zelensky said the strikes killed people and injured dozens, without giving a full tally; Reuters separately reported casualties and damage in Kyiv, Sumy and Kharkiv.
- Zelensky said Ukrainian forces struck Russian military sites in Tula and Voronezh regions and oil facilities in Krasnodar Krai, plus a target in the Black Sea.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Kyiv would face consequences for the strikes on Russian territory, CDM reported.
Not yet confirmed
- The exact death and injury toll from Sunday's strikes has not been given by Ukrainian officials.
Why it matters for Europe
Zelensky's sanctions appeal comes as Russia shifts to jet-powered drones that fly faster and at higher altitudes, making them harder for Ukrainian air defences to intercept, according to Reuters. It also comes as both sides strike military and energy sites deep inside each other's territory, widening the exchange beyond the front line.
Sources
Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 3 countries.
- Știripesurse: VIDEO Zelenski cere Washingtonului aplicarea urgentă a noilor sancțiuni Rusiei pe care o acuză de terorism după ce 277 de drone au lovit Ucraina
- CDM: Iz sata u sat: Zelenski: Pogođeno više ruskih vojnih i energetskih postrojenja; Kremlj: Kijev će platiti cijenu za napade
- Ziarul de Gardă: LIVE TEXT/ Cinci morți, printre care și un copil, și 14 răniți – bilanțul victimelor în urma atacurilor Rusiei asupra Ucrainei. Război în Ucraina, ziua 1680
Intelligence file
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Questions and answers
- What did Zelensky ask Washington to do?
- He urged the US and other partners to move quickly on new sanctions against Russia, accusing Moscow of terrorism over its choice of targets.
- How big was the drone attack Zelensky described?
- He said Russia launched 277 attack drones against Ukraine since Saturday, 155 of them jet-powered.
- How did Russia respond?
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Kyiv would face consequences for Ukrainian strikes on Russian military and energy sites, CDM reported.
This article was written with AI assistance from 3 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.