'West should ramp up pressure': Russia rains 400 drones, 40 missiles on Ukraine; Zelenskyy urges global action

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday accused Russia of launching a massive overnight assault involving more than 400 drones and over 40 missiles.Zelenskyy called on Ukraine’s allies to act swiftly to stop the war."If someone does not put pressure and gives the war more time to take lives, they are complicit and responsible. We need to act decisively," Zelenskyy said in a social media post.Ukraine’s foreign ministry backed the president’s call, urging allies to step up international pressure without delay."Russia's overnight attack on civilians once again demonstrates that the international pressure on Moscow must be increased as soon as possible," Ukrainian foreign minister Andriy Sybiga said in a statement.

The overnight attack by Russia was one of the largest coordinated strikes in the three-year war, targeting at least six regions across Ukraine. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least four people were killed and 20 others injured in the capital.The Ukrainian air force said the barrage included ballistic and cruise missiles, strike drones, and decoys. Around 30 cruise missiles and up to 200 drones were intercepted, according to its spokesperson Yurii Ihnat.

Since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022, over 12,000 civilians have been killed, the UN reports. Friday’s assault added to that toll and exposed the growing strain on Ukrainian air defense systems.In Kyiv, emergency services battled fires caused by falling debris in several districts. Three emergency workers were killed while responding to the aftermath of the strikes, Ukraine’s interior ministry confirmed.City official Tymur Tkachenko said metro tracks were damaged, and over 2,000 households lost power on the city’s eastern bank.Beyond Kyiv, other cities also came under attack. In Ternopil, 10 people were injured, including five emergency workers. Poltava, Lviv, Khmelnytskyi, and Chernihiv regions also reported damage to homes, warehouses, and infrastructure.Meanwhile, Russia said its air defenses downed 174 Ukrainian drones over 13 of its regions and shot down three Ukrainian Neptune missiles over the Black Sea.Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 10 drones heading toward the capital were intercepted, causing temporary flight disruptions. In Belgorod, a locomotive derailed after a track explosion, which authorities blamed on Ukrainian sabotage.Ukraine’s human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said Russia’s actions amounted to “terrorism” and called on the global community to take “concrete steps.”The attack came just hours after US President Donald Trump remarked it might be better to “let Ukraine and Russia fight for a while” before seeking peace.President Vladimir Putin told Trump during a recent phone call that Russia would respond to Ukraine’s recent long-range attacks.