Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is calling for increased international pressure on Russia following a deadly missile strike that destroyed a residential building in Kyiv this week, killing 28 people and injuring 142 others. The Tuesday morning assault, one of the deadliest on Ukraine’s capital this year, targeted multiple sites and marked a renewed escalation in the war, now entering its fourth year.
Standing at the site of the destroyed nine-story apartment block in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district on Thursday, Zelenskyy, along with top officials Andrii Yermak and Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, laid flowers and paid tribute to the 23 residents who died in the direct strike. “This attack is a reminder to the world that Russia rejects a ceasefire and chooses killing,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram, urging Ukraine’s international allies to step up pressure on Moscow and “make it feel the real cost of the war.”
The missile strike was part of a large-scale drone and rocket assault that saw over 440 drones and 32 missiles launched in a coordinated effort to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defenses. Despite repeated calls for peace, Russia has intensified long-range strikes in recent weeks, often hitting residential areas—something the Kremlin denies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking Wednesday in St. Petersburg, claimed the Russian military only targets defense-related sites and not civilian areas. He also reiterated a willingness to negotiate, but questioned President Zelenskyy’s legitimacy, citing the expiration of his term—a claim dismissed by Ukraine and its Western allies.
Putin acknowledged U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent ceasefire proposal but added conditions, including halting Ukraine’s military mobilization and freezing Western arms supplies. Ukraine, however, says it has already unconditionally accepted the U.S.-backed plan. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Thursday it’s been 100 days since Ukraine agreed to the ceasefire proposal and accused Russia of escalating its attacks instead of seeking peace. “Ukraine remains committed to peace. Unfortunately, Russia continues to choose war,” Sybiha said on social media.
Wednesday night, Russia launched another wave of attacks, this time using 104 Shahed and decoy drones. Ukraine’s air force said 88 were intercepted or neutralized, and no casualties or major damage were reported.
As geopolitical attention shifts to tensions in the Middle East and trade disputes involving the U.S., Ukraine is once again appealing to the global community not to let its conflict be overshadowed. With continued strikes on civilian targets and no sign of a diplomatic breakthrough, Zelenskyy’s message was clear: time is running out to force Russia toward peace.