Key Points
- Russia launched a massive attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhia on Tuesday, using over 100 drones and approximately 150 glide bombs.
- The strikes killed at least two people and injured more than 20 others, including four children, across Zaporizhia and the Mykolaiv region.
- More than 20 residential apartment buildings in Zaporizhia were damaged, compounding destruction from a previous attack in late August.
- President Zelenskyy revealed Russia has fired over 6,200 projectiles in the last two weeks and made an urgent appeal to European leaders for a modern air defense system.
Kyiv: Russia unleashed a devastating aerial assault on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhia on Tuesday, launching over 100 drones and nearly 150 powerful glide bombs. The attack caused widespread destruction, hitting residential areas and injuring numerous civilians. According to Ukrainian officials, the strikes killed at least one person in Zaporizhia and another in the Mykolaiv region, with the total number of injured exceeding 20, including four children.
Ivan Fedorov, the regional head of Zaporizhia, reported that over 20 apartment buildings were damaged or set ablaze by the Russian strikes. He noted that many of these buildings were still undergoing repairs from a previous attack on August 30. “The enemy has now added even more work for the city administration staff,” Fedorov stated on national television, highlighting the relentless nature of the assaults.
Zelenskyy’s Urgent Plea for Air Defense
In response to the escalating attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an urgent appeal to European leaders to help create a powerful, multi-layered air defense system to protect the continent. In a message on Telegram, he detailed the staggering scale of recent Russian bombardments. Zelenskyy stated that in the last two weeks alone, Russia has fired more than 3,500 drones, over 2,500 glide bombs, and about 200 missiles at Ukraine.
“The time has come to implement a multi-layered air defense system to protect the skies of Europe,” Zelenskyy declared. He emphasized that the modern technology required for such a system is available but requires significant investment and strong political will from all partners. He urged decisive and concrete action, stating that Russia will not pursue genuine diplomacy until it faces severe consequences for its aggression.
The Glide Bomb Threat
Russian forces have increasingly relied on glide bombs, which are dropped from high-altitude fighter jets, making them extremely difficult for Ukraine’s current air defense systems to intercept. This technological gap leaves Ukrainian cities vulnerable to highly destructive attacks with minimal warning.
The recent assault on Zaporizhia is part of a broader intensification of Russian airstrikes. Not long ago, Russia conducted one of its largest single attacks of the war, launching over 800 drones and missiles targeting Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. In that strike, two cruise missiles reportedly hit a major government administrative building, causing a significant fire in what is considered one of the city’s most secure areas.
