KIEV/DNIPRO (dpa-AFX) – After a Russian attack in a suburb of the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, rescue workers found the body of a two-year-old girl under the rubble of a house. The authorities also reported 22 injuries early Sunday morning, including five children.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in Kiev on Saturday evening: “Russia has shown again that it is a terrorist state.” The head of state released a video showing a completely destroyed two-story building. Rescuers were still looking for survivors. According to authorities on Sunday, ten private houses, a car, a shop and gas pipelines were also damaged in the area.
Russian rocket and drone attacks in Ukraine repeatedly hit civilian infrastructure. According to Zelenskyj, a bullet fell between two two-story apartment buildings. There had previously been an air alert in the region. It was unclear exactly what had hit there. Dnipro is located in southeastern Ukraine.
“The Russians will take responsibility for everything they did to our state and the people,” said Zelenskyy. In his evening video message, he thanked rescue workers, fighters and everyone who made their contribution in the fight against the Russian invasion that has been going on for more than 15 months. Zelenskyy called on people to personally thank the soldiers and everyone who fought for the existence of Ukraine.
Zelenskyj sees Ukraine ready for counter-offensive
In an interview, Zelenskyy said he saw the country ready for the long-awaited counter-offensive to liberate its territories from Russian occupation. “I think we’re ready for that today,” he told the Wall Street Journal. The US newspaper also published the interview as a video on its website on Saturday. Zelenskyi stressed that Ukraine would have liked to have some more weapons for the offensive against the Russian invasion, but could not wait more months for their delivery.
“We believe very much in success, I don’t know how long it takes us,” he said. At the same time, he pointed out that it could take time and that the price of success would be high. There has been speculation for months about the beginning of the offensive, but at times it was said in Kiev that the operation was already underway.
At the same time, Zelenskyy again called for significantly more US Patriot air defense systems, in the interview he named the number 50. The Patriot missiles offer the best protection against Russia’s terror. “Today, Patriot is the only weapon capable of stopping some of the types of missiles that the Russian Federation is using against our civilian population, schools, infrastructure and energy systems,” he told WSJ. “50 Patriot batteries – and the majority of people don’t die.” According to the US television station CNN, Ukraine is currently using two Patriot systems.
In its war of aggression, Russia had fired more missiles and drones at Ukraine and especially Kiev in the past few days than at any time since the invasion began. The Ukrainian air defense repeatedly reported that all or almost all of these flying objects had been shot down thanks to the western defense systems. Nevertheless, there were dead and injured. Debris from missiles and drones that have been launched also leave behind massive damage to buildings, cars and roads.
Zelenskyy also published a video of a conversation with journalists from Latin America on Saturday, in which he again emphasized that negotiations to end the war are not possible with the current Russian leadership. The only chance for Russia is to withdraw its troops from Ukraine, he said. The 45-year-old reiterated that he would otherwise fight until Ukraine wins the war and Russia is defeated. If Russia were defeated, there would be a revolution there, he said.
Russian military expands muster points for war
On the other hand, according to the government, Russia is not thinking of giving up. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the number of recruitment centers for recruiting volunteers for the war effort in Ukraine has increased. There are more such points and more instructors to work with the candidates, the ministry said in Moscow on Saturday. In this way, more contracts could be concluded with citizens for military service. The number of applicants who “want to combine their lives with military service” has increased “significantly,” the statement said.
According to official figures, more than 100,000 Russians have volunteered for military service in recent months as part of a Defense Ministry advertising campaign, about a quarter of the planned number. Under the slogan “Together to victory,” the ministry is now hoping for more people. Tens of thousands have already been killed in the war.
Public criticism of warfare in Russia is increasing
In Russia, meanwhile, public criticism of its own conduct of the war is growing because Moscow’s troops have not been able to show any military successes against the resistance of the Ukrainian armed forces. The prominent member of parliament Konstantin Zatulin from the ruling party United Russia lamented at a conference on “Which Ukraine do we need?” a failure and mistake of Moscow.
The “special military operation” should have been called a “war” right from the start, said Zatulin. It was not just a misjudgment that the war could be won within a few days; not a single war aim set out by the Kremlin had been achieved.
Such statements by MPs are unusual. However, Zatulin is in line with the Kremlin in that he supports the war. The deputy answered yes to the question of whether Ukraine would survive as a state. “Because our forces are not sufficient to prevent that – with such support that she is receiving,” he said, referring to Western aid to Ukraine.
What will be important on Sunday
Ukraine continues to prepare for its major offensive as regular fighting focuses on Donbass. According to the authorities, the situation also remains tense in the Russian border region, which has been under fire from the Ukrainian side for days. Whole towns had to be evacuated there because of the artillery fire and the massive destruction./mau/DP/mis