Ukraine has experienced one of the most powerful attacks since the beginning of the war - hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles hit Kyiv and other cities. The reaction of world leaders and allies demonstrated a readiness for unity and decisive steps, and Zelensky outlined further actions in the United States. Among the priorities are new air defense systems, large-scale defense agreements and joint production of drones.
Massive Russian strike on Ukraine
On Sunday night, Russia carried out one of the most powerful attacks on Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. According to the Ukrainian military, the enemy launched 595 drones and 48 missiles, of which the air defense forces shot down 568 drones and 43 missiles.
The enemy struck the capital of Ukraine, Zaporizhia, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv and Odesa regions. In total, more than 70 people are known to have been injured and more than 100 civilian objects were damaged in Ukraine.
One of the main targets was Kyiv, where residential buildings, a medical facility and industrial facilities were damaged. In total, at least four people died, including a 12-year-old girl. Reuters reports that residents of the capital were fleeing in the metro, while entire blocks of new buildings in the suburbs were almost destroyed by debris.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the attack lasted more than 12 hours. He again called on international partners to limit Russia's energy revenues, which finance the war.
“This vile attack took place virtually as the end of the UN General Assembly week, and this is how Russia is declaring its real position. Moscow wants to continue fighting and killing and deserves only the toughest pressure from the world,” the President emphasized.
Zelensky also confirmed that another Patriot system provided by Israel was recently deployed, and Ukraine expects two more in the near future. At the same time, the need for additional means of protection remains acute, as Russia is increasingly using hundreds of drones and missiles in one night.
Pastor Burns’ reaction to the Russian attack
US President Donald Trump’s spiritual advisor Pastor Mark Burns reacted to Russia’s massive attack on Ukraine, calling for unity in the world.
“Ukraine is now under merciless missile fire. Putin’s troops are launching drones. Kyiv is on fire. Buildings are burning. The streets are shaking from explosions. Air defense forces are trying to protect innocent people. This is life when your neighbor goes crazy,” he wrote in X.
Burns said humanity must respond to the challenge of evil that is openly manifested.
“We will do this by relying on faith, not fear. By uniting between countries, not dividing along lines. By speaking the truth when lies are spoken, and by loving those who are under attack,” he stressed.
The cleric questioned whether humanity would be strong enough to survive at this time, and expressed his belief that the path to this lies through togetherness and spiritual resilience.
NATO fighters take off amid massive Russian attack on Ukraine
On the night of September 28, NATO scrambled fighter jets and put air defense systems in Poland on alert in response to Russia’s massive attack on Ukraine.
The Polish operational command reported that “another pair of fighter jets were scrambled, and ground-based air defense systems and radar reconnaissance reached the highest level of readiness.” This was a precautionary measure to protect airspace and citizens, especially in regions bordering Ukraine.
The operation involved Dutch F-35 fighters and the German Patriot system, and the airspace over Lublin and Rzeszów was temporarily closed.
The alert lasted about three and a half hours, after which it was canceled, and no violations of Polish airspace were recorded.
Vance: Russia refused to negotiate even with Trump’s participation
US Vice President J.D. Vance saidthat Russia refused to negotiate with Ukraine, including in a trilateral format with the participation of President Donald Trump.
According to him, “unfortunately, in the last couple of weeks, we have seen that the Russians have refused to hold any bilateral meetings with the Ukrainians. They have refused to hold any trilateral meetings where the president or another member of the administration (Trump – ed.) could meet with the Russians and the Ukrainians.”
“We have been actively pursuing peace since the very beginning of the administration, but the Russians need to wake up and accept reality. A lot of people are dying. They have nothing to be proud of. How many more people are they willing to lose? How many more people are they willing to kill for a very small, if any, military advantage on the ground?”, – said Vance.
The politician noted that the Trump administration has been actively pursuing peace since the beginning of its work, but this requires steps from both sides.
He also expressed hope that the Russian Federation will eventually realize the real state of affairs. “We will continue to work for peace and hope that the Russians will wake up and realize the reality on the ground,” the vice president added at the end.
Ukraine prepares big deals in the US
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported, that Ukrainian official delegations will soon visit the United States to negotiate large-scale arms purchase contracts and drone production agreements.
According to him, Ukraine has prepared a list of weapons worth about $90 billion, which includes the so-called “Mega Deal”. In parallel, agreements are being prepared for the “Drone Deal”, within the framework of which technical groups have already begun work. This is a project where the United States will purchase drones directly from Ukrainian manufacturers.
Zelenskyy stressed that during the years of war, Ukraine created its own drone industry from scratch, but now it lacks the resources to scale up production. Western assistance, especially in the field of air defense, remains critical, as Russia has significantly increased nightly missile and drone attacks.
The president also noted that Ukraine is responding with strikes on Russian energy facilities and is ready for further steps in response.
Author: Danylo Pievchev