Zelenskyy: Russia's Aggression Continues Due To Lack Of Pressure To Moscow

The impact of the Russian attack on Ukraine/PHOTO via X@ ZelenskyyUa

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought to put stronger pressure on Moscow as he met with his allies in Denmark and France.

This was done by Zelenskyy after Russian troops launched a massive airstrike on Ukraine, which damaged energy infrastructure and transportation.

Russia launched more than 500 drones and dozens of missiles, hitting infrastructure at 14 locations across the country and injuring four train workers, regional and military officials said.

"This is clearly a Russian demonstrative attack. This aggression continues only because of the lack of adequate pressure, especially on the Russian war economy," Zelenskyy said via the Telegram application.

"We will discuss the need for strong pressure measures with our partners in the coming days," he continued.

Zelenskyy said he would participate in a summit with Nordic and Baltic countries on Wednesday. He also plans to go to France where he will meet with allies of the European Union and the US to discuss further steps in the "coalition of willing countries" who have pledged to help Ukraine.

Amid international pressure to mediate the end of Russia's three-and-a-half-year war, Kyiv wants security guarantees to prevent future Russian attacks.

Meanwhile, NATO Chief Mark Rutte expects clarity at a Paris meeting on Friday or soon after regarding what the coalition can provide with respect to guarantees for Kyiv.

US President Donald Trump previously indicated the United States could support any European peacekeeper's plan but would not deploy US troops to Ukraine.

Russia has rejected plans for Western peacekeeping forces in Ukraine in the future.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attended a military parade in Beijing to mark the end of World War II, where Chinese President Xi Jinping warned the world was facing a choice between peace and war.

The airstrike warning sounded for hours across Ukraine, with explosions heard in nine of its 24 regions, from Kyiv to Lviv and Volyn in the west, officials and Ukrainian media said.

The Ukrainian air force said it had shot down 430 of 502 unmanned aircraft and 21 of the 24 missiles launched by Russia overnight, adding that three missiles and 69 unmanned aircraft hit 14 locations.

Four train workers in the Kirovod area, central Ukraine, were hospitalized following the Russian attack.

The train workers were among the five injured people at the main train hub of Zanamianka, where 28 houses were also damaged, according to Ukraine's emergency services via Telegram.

In northern Chernihiv, the attack cut off electricity to 30,000 customers and damaged critical civilian infrastructure, Viache Governorslav Chaus said.

Public transport in the western Ukrainian city of Khmelnytskyi faced "significant schedule disruptions" following the attack, according to an administrational statement via Telegram, with local governors reporting fires and damage to residential buildings, among others.

Firefighters in the Ivano-Frankivsk region are battling a fire that devoured a 9,000 square meter storage facility.