Zelenskyy following Russian Federation’s night-time attack: Russians could not have been unaware that they were targeting civilians. PHOTOS

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russian troops had deliberately attacked civilian targets in Sloviansk, Sumy, Kharkiv and other regions, and emphasised the need to strengthen Ukraine’s air defence as quickly as possible.

According to Censor.NET, thiswas stated in a post by Zelenskyy on Telegram.

"More than ten ordinary residential buildings were damaged during the Russian shelling of Sloviansk this evening. Sadly, three people were killed. In Sumy, the Russians also killed three people with a ‘Shahed’ strike and a follow-up strike by an FPV drone on a Nova Poshta branch. My condolences go to the families and loved ones of the victims. They could not have been unaware that these were all civilian targets," the president wrote.

He reported that in Kharkiv, the occupiers struck a high-rise building with a drone. A regular flea market in Zaporizhzhia was set alight. The terrorisation of people using drones continues unabated in Kherson and the Kherson region. The Poltava, Chernihiv, Odesa, Mykolaiv and Dnipro regions were also targeted.

According to Zelenskyy, Russia used a total of two missiles and nearly 160 drones. As of this morning, ten people are known to have been injured.

Ukraine needs even greater resilience and stronger air defence

The President emphasised that strengthening air defence remains the top priority in negotiations with international partners.

"Air defence is now the priority at every international meeting and for every state institution. Everything we agree on with our partners must be implemented more quickly. Wherever the authorities can help organise air defence, this must be done. Ukraine must be more resilient," Zelenskyy said.