Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy once again denounced Russia’s relentless assaults, highlighting the devastating impact of its strikes on Ukrainian cities. He particularly emphasized the tragic events that occurred on St. Nicholas Day, calling for “strength” to confront Russian aggression.
In a post on X on Friday, Zelenskyy wrote, “Russia’s words mean nothing, but their bombs and missiles speak volumes.”
He further described the attacks, stating, “On the evening of St. Nicholas Day, aerial bombs in Zaporizhzhia directly hit a service station, targeting cars with people inside. As of now, four people are known to be injured and are receiving medical assistance. Tragically, the death toll includes nine individuals. In Kryvyi Rih, a missile strike hit an ordinary city building, injuring 17 people and killing two. And these are just two examples of Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities in a single day.”
The Ukrainian President also criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin, asserting that he has no intention of pursuing “real peace.”
Zelenskyy added, “Thousands of such strikes by Russia during this war make it absolutely clear: Putin does not seek real peace—he seeks the ability to treat any country this way, with bombs, missiles, and all other forms of violence. Only through strength can we resist this. And only through strength can real peace be established. I thank everyone who is supporting Ukraine’s efforts. May the memory of all the victims of Russian terror be eternal.”
On the preceding day, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to Ukraine’s partners for providing the “Peklo” drone missile.
In another post on X, he wrote, “The ‘Peklo’ (Hell) drone-missile—our Ukrainian weapon with proven combat effectiveness. Today, the first batch was delivered to our Defense Forces. The mission now is to scale up production and deployment. I am grateful to everyone involved in our defense production, whose contributions help Ukraine fight.