Ukraine’s Zelensky says Russia engaged in a new troop build-up
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces had targeted Ukraine with 150 drones overnight, more than 50 in the morning and “dozens” more in the evening.
PHOTO: EPA
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KYIV – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept 2 that Russia was engaged in a new troop build-up along certain sectors of the front line and was still launching strikes on Ukrainian targets.
“Now we see another build-up of Russian forces in certain sectors of the front. He refuses to be forced into peace,” he said in his nightly video address, referring to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.
Mr Zelensky provided no further details, but said: “Russia continues to launch strikes. Of course, we will respond to this.”
He added that Russian forces had targeted Ukraine with 150 drones overnight, more than 50 in the morning and “dozens” more in the evening.
New drone attacks, he said, amounted to “an accompaniment to Russian statements from China”, a reference to Mr Putin’s visit to Beijing, where Chinese President Xi Jinping is hosting the Russian leader and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
“Yesterday, the Russians literally denied what (US President Donald) Trump said about the leaders’ meeting needed to end the war. In China, Putin is continuing to spin tales as if he not guilty for the war,” Mr Zelensky said.
Mr Zelensky has long backed Mr Trump’s call for a meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents as a step towards ending the war, launched by Russia’s invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.
Russia has said no suitable agenda has been set
