Zelensky calls for increased sanctions as Russia intensifies missile and drone attacks on Ukraine
In the latest call for stronger international action against Moscow, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged allies to ramp up sanctions on Russia. This plea comes after a significant surge of overnight drone and missile attacks by Russia on Sunday, May 25.
"Every such terrorist Russian attack is reason enough for new sanctions against Russia. Moscow drags on this war and continues with its deadly toll every single day," Zelensky stated on Telegram. "While the world might take a weekend break, the war does not pause, be it weekend or weekday. It's impossible to turn a blind eye. Silence from America, and others globally, only acts as an encouragement for Putin."
"Without truly strong pressure on the Russian leadership, this brutality cannot be stopped," the Ukrainian leader continued, calling for "resolve" from the United States and European nations.
Ending the war, Zelensky asserted, requires decisive and forceful measures against Russia, pressing Putin to focus not on missile launches, but on ending the conflict.
The Russian military launched a massive attack on Ukrainian territory overnight on Sunday, May 25, deploying strike drones and missiles.
Zelensky reported that almost 300 assault UAVs and roughly 70 missiles of various types, including ballistic ones, targeted Ukraine throughout the night. "The targets included Kyiv and surrounding areas, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil, Chernihiv, Sumy, Odessa, Poltava, Dnipro, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, and Cherkasy regions," Zelensky shared on Telegram.
As a result of the attack, dormitories at Kyiv's historical university were damaged. "There were hits on industrial sites. Tragically, there are casualties, including children. My condolences," added Zelensky.
According to Kyiv’s city military administration, the assault led to at least four fatalities. Debris from drones injured at least 16 people in several districts of the capital, including three children, according to city emergency services.
Kyiv regional authorities reported 29 injured, six among them children.
In Khmelnytskyi region, authorities spoke of four fatalities. "Five individuals sustained shrapnel wounds, among them a minor and an elderly woman, who is in critical condition," added the regional message.
The overnight assault in Zhytomyr claimed the lives of three children aged 8, 12, and 17, while injuring 12 others, including one child, local officials confirmed.
A 77-year-old man was killed, with five others wounded due to drone attacks in Mykolaiv. Those injured were hospitalized, stated Vitaliy Kim, head of the Mykolaiv regional military administration, on the morning of May 25.