Zelensky says Russia attacks ‘increasing’ as 2 killed in missile, drone attacks

KYIV - President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on April 6 that Moscow is increasing its aerial bombardment after mounting a “massive” missile and drone attack on Ukraine overnight, killing two people and wounding at least seven.

The strike was the first large-scale attack using missiles and drones since the US in late March said it had negotiated two ceasefire accords with Russia and Ukraine, including one that would halt strikes on each other’s energy infrastructure.

Mr Zelensky said ongoing attacks showed Russia did not want to end the three-year-old war.

“Such attacks are (Vladimir) Putin’s response to all international diplomatic efforts. Each of our partners – America, the whole of Europe, the whole world – has seen that Russia is going to continue to fight and kill,” he said on Telegram.

“Therefore, there can be no easing of pressure. All efforts should be made to ensure security and bring peace.”

Mr Andriy Yermak, Ukraine’s presidential chief of staff, posted a video of firefighters trying to put out fires at badly damaged buildings.

Russian forces used ballistic and cruise missiles launched from both strategic bombers and naval fleets, as well as drones, during the overnight attack, Ukraine's air force said.

Mr Zelensky said that over the past week, Russia had launched more than 1,460 guided aerial bombs, nearly 670 attack drones and more than 30 missiles of various types against Ukraine.

Poland on high alert

Warnings from the air force of an attack including regions bordering Poland forced the neighbouring Nato member country to scramble aircraft to ensure air safety.

Poland has been on high alert for objects entering its airspace since a stray Ukrainian missile struck the southern Polish village of Przewodow in 2022, killing two people.

In Kyiv, several loud explosions were heard overnight.

Fires broke out in at least three districts of Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a Telegram post.

“The body of a man killed in an enemy attack was found in Darnytskiy district (of Kyiv). He was on the street, near the epicentre of the explosion,” Mr Klitschko said.

He added that two civilians had been taken to hospital after they were injured in Darnytskiy, on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River that splits the city.

The April 6 strikes on Kyiv came after officials in the southern region of Mykolaiv reported three people had been injured in Russian strikes. A day earlier, a Russian attack killed at least 19 people including nine children in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, followed up by attack drones.

Mr Zelensky on April 5 slammed the US embassy for what he called a “weak” statement that did not blame Russia for a missile strike on his home town.

In an emotional statement on social media, he named each of the children killed in the attack, accusing the US embassy of avoiding referring to Russia as the aggressor.

“Unfortunately, the reaction of the American Embassy is unpleasantly surprising: such a strong country, such a strong people – and such a weak reaction,” he wrote. “They are even afraid to say the word ‘Russian’ when talking about the missile that killed the children.”

He was taking aim at a message posted on X by US Ambassador Bridget Brink on the evening of April 4, which said: “Horrified that tonight a ballistic missile struck near a playground and restaurant.”

Mr Zelensky was born in the industrial city, which had a pre-war population of around 600,000 people.

Ms Brink, who was appointed by Mr Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden and has been ambassador since May 2022, added that “this is why the war must end”.

There was no immediate comment from Russia. Both sides deny targeting civilians in the war that Russia started with a full-scale invasion of its smaller neighbour. Thousands of civilians have died in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian.

US President Donald Trump, who took office in January after pledging he would end the war in 24 hours, has sought to broker an end to the conflict.

The US is also seeking a thaw in ties with Russia and Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev in an interview with state television said that the next US-Russian contacts could be “already next week”, Russian news agencies reported.

Mr Dmitriev visited Washington last week – becoming the most senior Russian official to do so since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. REUTERS