Russia continues to terrorize Ukrainian cities while the international community is focused on the Middle East, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says. Over the past week, many regions of Ukraine have been under attack, with air-raid alerts sounding in numerous areas due to the threat of drone strikes.

Escalation amid peace efforts

An active process to reach a peace agreement is underway in the Middle East between Israel and the Hamas movement, according to the Associated Press. The parties agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza, a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the release of all Israeli hostages captured by Hamas during the first day of the war, 7 October 2023. This date coincided with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s birthday.

“Moscow allows itself to escalate strikes and openly exploits the fact that the world is focused on ensuring peace in the Middle East. That is why no weakening of pressure can be allowed," Zelenskyy claims.

He added that sanctions, tariffs, and joint actions against buyers of Russian oil must remain on the agenda, as these measures could pave the way for lasting peace in Europe.

Striking pressure on Ukraine

The Ukrainian president stresses that Russia continues air terror and attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

“The immorality of these crimes is such that every day Russians are killing our people. Yesterday in Kostiantynivka, a child was killed by an air bomb in a church,” he said.

According to Zelenskyy, in just one week, the Russian military launched over 3,100 drones, 92 missiles, and approximately 1,360 guided aerial bombs. Emergency services continue to mitigate the damage and conduct repair works.