Calls Russia's New Missile Launch Not Interested In Peace, President Zelensky: The World Must Respond

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. (Source: President.gov.ua)

JAKARTA - President Volodymyr Zelensky in a post on social media wrote that Russia's new missile shooting indicated the country did not want peace, calling on the world to respond.

In a post, President Zelensky wrote, the use of a new missile was Russia's second step to escalate and expand the war, after the deployment of at least 11,000 North Korean troops on the battlefield.

"Putin has taken both steps while ignoring everyone in the world who is calling for no expansion of the war," he tweeted on social media X, as quoted Friday, November 22.

"The use of ballistic missiles against Ukraine today is further evidence that Russia is not interested in peace," he continued.

Today, Putin admitted to taking a second step this year toward escalating and expanding this war. A new ballistic missile was used. Putin struck our city of Dnipro, one of Ukraine’s largest cities. This is a clear and severe escalation in the scale and brutality of this war—a…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 21, 2024

Today, Putin added to taking a second step this year towards accelerating and explaining this war. A new ballistic missed was used. Putin truck our city of Dnipro, one of Ukraine's largest cities. This is a clear and safe procurement in the scale and brutality of this war...

As previously reported, Russia fired ballistic missiles at Dnipro, hitting Ukraine's military target on Thursday, after the United States and Britain allowed Ukraine to attack Russia with Western weapons.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a televised address, said Moscow attacked Ukrainian military facilities with a new medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile known as "Oreshnik", warning more would follow.

"Russia hit a Ukrainian aerospace factory called Yuzhmash with a hypersonic ballistic missile carrying a non-nuclear warhead," President Putin said, quoted by TASS.

The Ukrainian Air Force said the missile targeted Dnipro in Ukraine in the middle and was fired from Russia's Astrakhan region, more than 700 km (435 miles) away.

Russia also fired Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and seven Kh-101 cruise missiles, six of which were shot down, Ukraine's air force said.

"The world must respond. Currently, there is no strong reaction from the world," said President Zelensky.

"Putin must feel the consequences of his crazy ambition. A response is necessary. Pressure is needed. Russia must be forced to achieve true peace, which can only be achieved through force," he said.

The attack targeted companies and critical infrastructure in Dnipro, the Ukrainian air force said.

It is known that Dnipro was the center of missile manufacturing in the Soviet era. Ukraine has expanded its military industry during the war but kept its whereabouts a secret.