Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the international community, calling for a stronger response to Russian strikes that, in his words, are effectively claiming civilian lives on a daily basis. In a statement conveyed by RBC-Ukraine, the head of state emphasized that the current response from partners is "still not enough" and that Moscow must not enter winter "with the understanding that its missile and drone terror will simply get away with it." "Aggression must be stopped here and now, so that it does not spread further," Zelensky stated, adding that sanctions and support for Ukraine must work precisely toward this goal. He also thanked all partners who are helping to the best of their ability.
The trigger was another series of strikes on infrastructure and residential buildings
According to the same report, the statement was preceded by a series of Russian attacks. Overnight, according to the outlet, a strike hit the "Starkozache" international border crossing point on the border with Moldova: two people were killed, three more were injured, sixteen rescuers were evacuated, and the point's operations were suspended. In the morning, a Russian drone, according to RBC-Ukraine, hit a multi-story residential building in Kyiv, where four people were injured. The aftermath of the attacks was being addressed in other regions as well — in Dnipro, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, as well as in Kharkiv, Zhytomyr, and Kyiv oblasts.
Sanctions context and Kyiv's position
Ukraine, according to the text of the statement, has long been insisting on intensifying sanctions pressure on Moscow. Earlier, Zelensky described sanctions against the Russian Federation as an important signal not only to the Kremlin but also to Europe, noting that this is about more than just finances — it is also about supporting the Ukrainian people. As a reference point, the article cites the fact that the EU adopted its 21st package of sanctions against Russia at the end of July, which, according to the text, included manufacturers and suppliers of drones and military equipment for the Russian army, and also introduced a full entry ban into the EU for former Russian military personnel involved in the aggression.
Contradictory data
Fact-checking revealed that additional sources cover different events and do not directly confirm the details of the specific strikes described in the original report. Thus, an RFI (rfi.fr) article dated July 19, 2024, refers to Zelensky's visit to London and his call to lift restrictions on strikes with Western weapons at military targets inside the Russian Federation — this is a different timeline and a different topic. A YLE (yle.fi) article is devoted to statements about Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries in Yaroslavl Oblast and Ufa, which also does not overlap with the description of the attacks on "Starkozache" and Kyiv. Accordingly, the specific casualty figures (two killed and three injured at the crossing point, four injured in Kyiv) rely exclusively on the original RBC-Ukraine report and have not received independent confirmation in the provided sources; the year of adoption of the "21st package" is not explicitly stated in the text, which creates uncertainty in linking it to the current date.
