Ukraine's allies are stunned by the new, heavy attacks on the country. At least four civilians have died, demonstrating that the Kremlin does not want peace. The EU intends to increase its pressure on Russia.
800 drones and 13 missiles: Ukraine reported massive Russian attacks this morning. The EU and Ukraine's allies reacted with outrage. They see the new attacks as evidence of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's unwillingness to negotiate.
"The Kremlin is once again mocking diplomacy, trampling on international law, and killing indiscriminately," wrote EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Platform X."We are strengthening the Ukrainian armed forces, creating permanent security guarantees, and tightening sanctions to increase pressure on Russia."
EU working on 19th sanctions package
EU Council President António Costa also appealed for strengthening Ukraine's defenses and increasing pressure on Russia through further sanctions."Talking about peace while the bombings escalate and government buildings and homes are attacked—that is Putin's version of 'peace,'" he wrote on X."Russia started this war, and Russia chooses to continue it."
Both EU representatives also pointed to the continued planning for a 19th package of sanctions over the weekend. These are expected to culminate in a legislative proposal in the coming days, which would then have to be adopted by the governments of the member states.
Solidarity of partners
Numerous heads of state and government expressed their condolences to the victims—four people died in the attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked numerous politicians on social media, including EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and French President Emmanuel Macron.
"Together with Ukraine and our partners, we stand for peace," Macron wrote on X."Russia, meanwhile, is becoming ever more entangled in the logic of war and terror." Zelenskyy said he spoke with Macron on the phone after the attacks.
"The Kremlin wants war, not peace"
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also expressed his horror."For the first time, the heart of Ukraine's civilian government has been damaged. These cowardly attacks show that Putin believes he can act with impunity," he said."He is not serious about peace."
Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs also wrote on X: "The message is clear: The Kremlin wants war, not peace." Moldovan Prime Minister Maia Sandu said Russia offers the world "tons of lies and thousands of missiles that indiscriminately kill civilians."
Government building on fire
According to Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, from Saturday evening until the early hours of the morning, cities in almost all parts of Ukraine were shelled. Kyiv was again one of the main targets. According to Svyrydenko, one of the most important government buildings in the capital was set on fire.
It is still unclear whether the Russian military deliberately targeted the house or whether falling debris, for example from a downed drone, caused the fire.
The Defense Ministry in Moscow claimed that the military only"attacked sites of the military-industrial complex and transport infrastructure in Ukraine" in the attack.
Deaths in Kyiv
Residential buildings were also hit during the night. According to local authorities, at least two people were killed in the attacks in Kyiv, and many more were injured. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that a toddler and a young woman died in the drone strikes.
In addition, an elderly woman was reportedly killed in an air raid shelter. Authorities are now investigating whether she died as a result of an attack. She is not included in the official casualty toll.
Two more dead in Sumy and Chernihiv
According to President Zelensky, more than 20 houses and a kindergarten were damaged in Zaporizhia. In addition to those killed in Kyiv, two other people died nationwide. One person was killed in Safonivka in the Sumy region and one in the Chernihiv region, the president wrote on Platform X.
Zelenskyy spoke of"deliberate crimes," even though real diplomacy could have begun long ago. In this context, he also criticized the US government for not imposing further sanctions against Russia.
Other Ukrainian cities also reported Russian attacks. In Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine, authorities reported attacks on transport and urban infrastructure. In the southern Black Sea port city of Odessa, civilian infrastructure and residential buildings were damaged. The Ukrainian reports cannot currently be independently verified.
Ukraine attacks Druzhba oil pipeline again
Russia also reported attacks. Air defense systems destroyed 69 Ukrainian drones overnight, the Russian news agency RIA reported, citing the Defense Ministry. In the southern Black Sea region of Krasnodar, a drone attack sparked a fire at the Ilsky oil refinery, according to local authorities. The Russian reports cannot currently be independently verified.
Ukraine itself claims to have again attacked the Russian region of Bryansk. The target was the Druzhba oil pipeline. The commander of the Ukrainian drone force, Robert Brovdi, reported on the short message service Telegram that the pipeline was significantly damaged by a fire. This information, too, cannot currently be independently verified.
Hungary and Slovakia are supplied with Russian oil via the transit pipeline. Ukraine has already attacked the pipeline several times, leading to disruptions in supplies to the two EU countries. Unlike most other EU countries, Slovakia and Hungary remain heavily dependent on Russian oil, which they receive via the Soviet-era pipeline. Both countries maintain closer relations with Russia despite the war in Ukraine and EU sanctions.
