Zelensky Says Russia Is Targeting Ukrainian Cities and Civilian Infrastructure

Summary

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia has increased attacks on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure. He accused Russia of targeting schools, hospitals, internet networks and other facilities, and said Moscow wants Ukrainians to leave their cities, including Kyiv.

Zelensky also discussed China's and India's role in helping Russia avoid sanctions and explained Ukraine's efforts to improve its defenses against Russian drones.

Zelensky Says China and India Help Russia Avoid Sanctions

Zelensky said China and India are helping Russia circumvent Western sanctions.

He said Ukraine needs to speak openly about the role of countries that continue economic relations with Russia while the war continues.

Zelensky Says Russia Removed Restrictions on Attacks

Zelensky said Ukrainian intelligence learned that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered the military to remove previous restrictions on its air campaign.

According to Zelensky, Putin said “no rules now.”

Zelensky said Russia then increased attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.

Russia Accused of Targeting Civilian Infrastructure

Zelensky said Russian forces have deliberately targeted facilities including:

Schools
Hospitals
Kindergartens
Universities
Data centers
Internet infrastructure
Mobile networks
Bridges

He said Ukraine believes the attacks are intended to make life difficult for civilians and encourage people to leave their cities.

Zelensky Says Kyiv Is Also at Risk

Zelensky said Russia wants Ukrainians to leave the capital, Kyiv.

He said Ukraine needs to do everything possible to protect its people and cities and prevent residents from being forced to leave.

Ukraine Uses F-16s Against Russian Drones

Zelensky said Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets are currently destroying around 50% to 60% of jet-powered drones, according to his account.

He said Ukraine is also working to obtain more weapons for the F-16s.

Ukraine Tests New Interceptors

Zelensky said Ukraine is testing five different types of fast drone interceptors.

He said their performance is currently inconsistent, with some tests showing around 70% effectiveness and others only around 30%.

Because Ukraine has limited money, Zelensky said it cannot spend billions producing large numbers of interceptors before knowing how effective they are.

Ukraine Plans to Test 400 Interceptors

Zelensky said Ukraine expects to have around 400 interceptors in October for testing during Russian attacks.

He said using large numbers of interceptors will help Ukraine determine which designs work effectively enough to be produced on a larger scale.

Zelensky said an interception rate of around 60% to 70% would represent a major success.

Key Points

Zelensky accused China and India of helping Russia bypass sanctions.
He said Russia has increased attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.
Zelensky claimed Putin ordered Russian forces to operate with “no rules.”
He said Russia is targeting schools, hospitals, data centers and communication networks.
Zelensky said Russia wants Ukrainians to leave Kyiv and other cities.
He said Ukrainian F-16s are destroying 50%–60% of some Russian drones.
Ukraine is testing five types of fast drone interceptors.
Around 400 interceptors are expected to be tested in October.
Zelensky said Ukraine needs effective systems before producing them on a large scale.