Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that one of the Russian drones fired on the city of Odessa had hit a China-owned vessel, a day before Russian President Vladimir Putin’s scheduled trip to Beijing to meet with his counterpart Xi Jinping.
On X on Monday, Zelensky called on Europe to develop its own ballistic missile defense systems and become self-sufficient in the face of Russian threats.
He stated, “We need our own anti-ballistic capabilities and stronger Ukrainian air defense right now.”
He added, “Russia’s overnight attack on Dnipro and the region lasted more than six hours,” leaving a residential building and other civilian infrastructure severely damaged.
He said the Russians used 524 attack drones and 22 missiles of various types in the overnight strike – both ballistic and cruise missiles.
Ukraine has been launching repeated strikes inside Russian territory in response to the daily shelling it has endured for over four years, asserting that it is targeting military sites and energy facilities to reduce Moscow’s ability to finance its military operations.
A temporary three-day ceasefire between the two countries went into effect to coincide with Russia’s commemoration of the end of World War II and the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany. (EIR)
