The mayor of Kharkiv, Ihor Terekhov, said that drones hit 12 city sites on Friday evening. Residential buildings, civil infrastructure and vehicles were damaged during the attack, according to the regional governor of Kharkiv, Oleh Syniehubov.
The Kharkiv prosecutor’s office said on Saturday that Russian forces had used drones equipped with thermobaric warheads. In a statement on Telegram, he indicated that these thermobaric weapons create a powerful shock wave and a burning smoke cloud, causing large -scale destruction. The prosecutor said their use could indicate a deliberate violation of international humanitarian law.
“While the world hesitates to make decisions, almost every night in Ukraine turns into a nightmare, costing lives. Ukraine needs a reinforced air defense. Strong and concrete decisions are necessary on the part of our partners: the United States, Europe, all our partners who aspire to peace, “wrote Mr. Zelensky in the early hours of Saturday.
Russia pulled a total of 183 explosive and lure drones in the night, said the Ukrainian Air Force. Among these, 77 were intercepted and 73 others were lost, probably by electronic jamming. Russia has also launched two ballistic missiles.
In addition, the Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses had shot 170 Ukrainian drones overnight. The ministry also said that eight cruise missiles and three guided missiles were also intercepted.
In southern Russia, five people, two children, were injured during a drone strike on the port city of Novorossiisk, on the Black Sea, in the night, according to Mayor Andreï Kravtchenko.
Mr. Zelensky is favorable to a 30-day ceasefire offered by the United States.
This last wave of attacks follows the signing on Wednesday by the United States and Ukraine with an agreement granting the United States to access to the vast mineral resources Ukrainian. This agreement, in preparation for months, could allow the continuation of military aid in Kyiv, in a context of concerns about a possible withdrawal of the support of President Donald Trump to the peace negotiations in progress with Russia.
Addressing journalists in Kyiv on Friday, President Zelensky said that Ukraine was ready to apply the 30-day ceasefire offered by the United States.
He said that the proposed ceasefire could start on any date and last a whole month, which would allow time to take concrete measures to end the war.
“Let’s be honest, you cannot agree on anything serious in three, five or seven days,” he said.
Zelensky said Moscow’s announcement of a unilateral ceasefire 72 hours next week in Ukraine to commemorate the day of the Second World War victory was only an attempt to create an atmosphere of relaxation before Russia annual celebrations.
“It seems not very serious,” he said, so that Putin’s guests in Red Square feel comfortable and safe. “
The Ukrainian leader reiterated that Kyiv’s military actions would remain “mirror”, in response to the actions of Russia. He recognized that the implementation of a complete ceasefire on the front without rigorous international surveillance remained almost impossible, but stressed that the 30-day period offered a credible start.
He confirmed the current efforts to convene a meeting of international advisers, which means the next cycle of negotiations with the United States.
He also expressed the hope that this could happen in Ukraine, saying that the fact that such a meeting is under discussion despite the recent changes of staff in Washington was a “positive sign”.
Russia wants a “de -escalation” in Ukraine.
