Reports from Ukraine say more than 200 Russian missiles and drones targeted critical infrastructure such as dams and power plants. Read more
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday called on European countries to help defend Ukraine after Russia launched its largest missile and drone attack in recent weeks.
Zelenskiy sought to replicate in Ukraine the Middle East model in which Western powers including the United States, France and Britain worked with Arab nations Jordan and Saudi Arabia to help defend Israel against an Iranian attack in April. If such an arrangement could work in the Middle East, it could work in Europe, Zelenskiy said in a post on Twitter.
“If the air forces of neighboring European countries work in coordination with our F-16 fighter jets and air defense systems, we can do much more to protect lives throughout Ukraine. If such cooperation has proven effective in the Middle East, it can also work in Europe. Life has the same value everywhere,” Zelenskyy said.
Zelensky said Russia had attacked Ukraine with more than 200 drones and missiles between Sunday and Monday, according to the AFP news agency.
Zelensky said the Russian attack consisted of more than 100 missiles of various kinds and “Shahed” missiles, an apparent reference to the Iranian Shahed suicide drones that Russia has used against Ukraine throughout the ongoing war.
“This was one of the largest attacks, a complex one, using more than 100 missiles of various types and about 100 Shahed missiles,” Zelenskyy said.
Meanwhile, media reports said targets of the overnight barrage included power plants, dams and other critical infrastructure.
“We must come together to shoot down Russian drones and missiles.”
Zelenskiy said Europe must unite to shoot down Russian drones and missiles.
The appeal is unlikely to lead to an immediate change in policy because the United States and European countries are supporting Ukraine with weapons, ammunition, intelligence, training and military advice but have made it clear they will not join a war with Russia.
“It is vital that our partners honor the commitments we made together, especially regarding air defense systems and missiles. And then we must ultimately unite in our efforts to shoot down Russian missiles and drones,” Zelensky said.
Efforts are currently underway across the country to eliminate the effects of the Russian attack. It was one of the largest attacks ever, a complex attack involving more than 100 missiles of various types and around 100 Shahed aircraft. As with most previous Russian attacks… pic.twitter.com/0qNTGR98rR
— Volodymyr Zelensky / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 26, 2024
Zelensky also repeated his request for permission to attack targets inside Russia, which Ukraine has so far only received limited permission to do so.
“Ukraine's long-range capabilities cannot be limited when terrorists face no such limitations. Our defense forces cannot be limited by weapons when Russia is fielding an entire arsenal, including Shahed and North Korean ballistic missiles. The United States, Britain, France and other partners have the power to help us stop this terrorism. Now is the time to act decisively,” Zelensky said.
Russia attacks power plants and dams: reports
Russia reportedly struck several power plants and at least one dam near Kiev in a nighttime attack.
Power outages were recorded in several cities, including Kyiv and Dnipro, according to a statement from the energy company cited by CNN.
Meanwhile, Wall Street Journal reporter Yaroslav Trofimov reported that Russian missiles also hit a dam's reservoir on the Kiev Sea near the Ukrainian capital, Kiev.
Russia has fired a missile at a dam in the Kiev Sea, north of the capital, which could collapse and kill millions of people downstream. https://t.co/lGic3XE4MP pic.twitter.com/YBTUWIZzuC
— Yaroslav Trofimov (@yarotrof) August 26, 2024
Separately, President Zelensky said Russia had struck targets in five regions – Volyn, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytsky and Ternopil.
