
‘Reminder to world that Russia chooses killing': Zelenskyy calls for increased pressure on Moscow for ceasefire
The drone and missile strike on Kyiv early Tuesday (June 17) killed 28 people and wounded 142 others and was the deadliest the capital faced this year, said Kyiv Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko.
Zelenskyy, along with Andrii Yermak, head of the presidential office, and Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, visited the site of the destroyed apartment building in Kyiv's Solomianskyi district on Thursday morning and paid respects to the 23 people who lost their lives in the direct missile hit that brought down the structure.
'This attack is a reminder to the world that Russia rejects a ceasefire and chooses killing,' Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram, and thanked Ukraine's partners who he said are ready to pressure Russia to 'feel the real cost of the war.'
The Tuesday strike was a part of Moscow's intensified attacks in its ongoing war against Ukraine.
Russia launched over 440 drones and 32 missiles in what Zelenskyy claims was one of the biggest bombardments in the war, which began in February 2022.
This comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected United States President Donald Trump's mediation offer for a 30-day immediate ceasefire.
Russia, in recent weeks, has intensified its long-range attacks on Ukraine that have caused severe damage to urban residential areas. However, Putin has denied the accusations, stating that his military launched attacks 'against military industries, not residential quarters.'
The Russian President also told the senior news leaders of international news agencies in St. Petersburg, Russia, that he was open to talks with Zelensky but reiterated that the Ukrainian leader's term had expired last year, and he had lost his legitimacy- an allegation that Kyiv and its allies have repeatedly rejected.
'We are ready for substantive talks on the principles of a settlement,' Putin said, noting that a previous round of talks in Istanbul had led to an exchange of prisoners and the bodies of fallen soldiers.
A new round of prisoner swap took place on Thursday in Ukraine's Chernihiv region, where Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) were repatriated, who, according to Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War or KSHPPV, were suffering from severe health problems because of prolonged detention and injuries.
Remarking on the exchange, Zelenskyy wrote in a post on Telegram, 'We are working to get our people back. Thank you to everyone who helps make these exchanges possible. Our goal is to free each and every one.'
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Thursday said that his country 'unconditionally accepted' the US ceasefire proposal, alleging that Russia's claims of its willingness to end the war were all 'manipulations'.
'It has been exactly 100 days since Ukraine unconditionally accepted the U.S. peace proposal to completely cease fire, put an end to the killing, and move forward with a genuine peace process … 100 days of Russia escalating terror against Ukraine rather than ending it,' Sybiha wrote in a post on X.
'Ukraine remains committed to peace. Unfortunately, Russia continues to choose war, disregarding US efforts to end the killing,' he added.
(With inputs from AP)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


News18
39 minutes ago
- News18
Zelensky Downplays Anti-Corruption Protests, Seeks Putin Meeting, "Funding for 10 Patriot Systems"
Ukraine's President Zelensky confirmed that Ukrainian and Russian delegations discussed a potential leader-level meeting during Istanbul talks, with Kyiv proposing it by late August. He urged Donald Trump to join, aligning with Trump's 50-day peace deal deadline. While Putin expressed interest in a meeting at the war's final phase, the Kremlin remained skeptical. Meanwhile, Ukraine seeks funds for 10 Patriot missile systems and faces domestic protests over anti-graft reforms, drawing EU criticism amid Kyiv's push to maintain war focus and secure Western support. 00:00 - INTRODUCTION02:19 - UKRAINE SEEKS FUNDING FOR 10 PATRIOT MISSILE SYSTEMS03:30 - ZELENSKY: CORRUPTION NOT NUMBER ONE ISSUEn18oc_world n18oc_crux


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
'It could be that we have to put secondary sanctions on Russia': Trump renews threat to Kremlin amid Ukraine war
Live Events Sanctions threat marks policy shift Growing US pressure on Kremlin (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said his administration is considering imposing secondary sanctions on Russia as the war in Ukraine continues to escalate.'It could be that we have to put secondary sanctions on Russia,' Trump told reporters at the White House before departing for a trip to comments were a renewed warning for Russia, initially given two weeks ago, in an effort to stop its war in alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office on July 14, Trump confirmed that billions of dollars' worth of U.S. weapons would be delivered to Ukraine through NATO.'We're going to make top-of-the-line weapons, and they'll be sent to NATO,' Trump said, adding that NATO allies would pay for the shipments. He confirmed that the weapons would include Patriot air defence missiles, urgently requested by Ukraine.'It's a full complement with the batteries,' he said. 'We're going to have some come very soon, within days.' Trump also mentioned a potential deal involving 17 Patriot systems already prepared for deployment: 'We're going to work a deal where the 17 will go or a big portion of the 17 will go to the war site.'Rutte added that several NATO countries, including Germany, Finland, the UK, and Canada, had expressed interest in contributing to Ukraine's a significant shift in U.S. sanctions strategy, Trump warned of secondary sanctions on countries buying Russian exports.'We're going to be doing secondary tariffs,' he said. 'If we don't have a deal in 50 days, it's very simple, and they'll be at 100%.'A White House official later clarified that Trump was referring to 100% tariffs on Russian goods, along with sanctions on countries that continue to trade with Russia. The announcement sent mixed signals to markets—Russian stocks rose on hopes of a potential diplomatic opening, with analysts noting that the 50-day grace period offered a window for President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram that he had spoken to Trump and 'thanked him for his readiness to support Ukraine and to continue working together to stop the killings and establish a lasting and just peace.'His envoy also met with Trump's team earlier in the new stance is fuelled by dissatisfaction with Moscow's repeated failure to engage seriously in peace talks . He claimed that past attempts had been derailed by continued Russian aggression 'We actually had probably four times a deal. And then the deal wouldn't happen because bombs would be thrown out that night and you'd say we're not making any deals,' Trump said. Last week, he added, 'We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin.'Though Trump has previously pushed for rapprochement with Russia, his recent pivot suggests a firmer approach following Putin's refusal to accept an unconditional ceasefire proposed by the U.S.—a plan reportedly endorsed by Russia continues to advance slowly in eastern Ukraine and shows no signs of abandoning its territorial ambitions.


News18
3 hours ago
- News18
Elon Musk Ordered Starlink Shutoff During Ukraine Offensive, Disrupting Frontline Ops: Report
Elon Musk shut down Starlink in frontline areas during Ukraine's September 2022 counteroffensive due to fears of Russian nuclear retaliation. Elon Musk personally ordered a shutdown of Starlink coverage in key frontline regions during a critical phase of Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russian forces in late September 2022, Reuters reported. Owing to the closure, battlefield operations were majorly impacted as hundreds of terminals in regions including Kherson and parts of Donetsk were deactivated. Elon Musk's directive, relayed to a senior engineer at SpaceX, caused a communications blackout that affected Ukrainian drone operations, artillery targeting and frontline coordination. Communications Collapse In Kherson Ukrainian military officials and advisors told Reuters that the blackout crippled their efforts to encircle Russian forces in the town of Beryslav. One official said, 'The encirclement stalled entirely. It failed." Drones went dark, artillery units lost targeting data and front-line troops struggled to communicate but Ukraine eventually reclaimed Beryslav and Kherson city. A Personal Decision Based On Nuclear Fears Three sources familiar with Elon Musk's decision said, as per the report, that it stemmed from his concerns that a Ukrainian advance could provoke nuclear retaliation from Moscow. The exact timing of the order is unclear but the outage reportedly began around September 30, 2022- just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to use nuclear weapons if Russia's territorial integrity was compromised. The move alarmed officials in Kyiv and Washington, who had worked to secure Starlink access for Ukraine's military after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Starlink's Growing Strategic Influence Starlink has become essential to Ukraine's battlefield operations, from drone piloting to secure communications. With more than 50,000 terminals in Ukraine- half of them provided by Poland- the system has enabled Ukraine's military to maintain connectivity across vast areas. Starlink, now the world's largest satellite network with over 7,900 satellites, is expected to generate nearly $10 billion in revenue this year- making up 60% of SpaceX's income. Yet the entire system remains under Elon Musk's private control, with no clear international mechanism to regulate its use in conflicts. Elon Musk has repeatedly acknowledged Starlink's critical role in Ukraine's defense. He earlier said, 'My Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainian army. Their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off." view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.