Zelenskyy responded to the Russian strike on a Chinese vessel
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has officially responded to the overnight attack by Russian forces, during which an enemy drone struck a Chinese civilian merchant ship in the Black Sea.
The head of state emphasized that this incident was not an accident, and that the attack itself is part of yet another massive strike on our country’s territory.
The occupiers’ large-scale air attack lasted for many hours and covered a significant portion of Ukrainian regions. As the president noted, Russia struck Dnipro and the surrounding region for over 6 hours last night.
A high-rise building was damaged by a missile strike, there is significant destruction of other civilian infrastructure, and hits on critical energy system facilities have been recorded.
The head of state drew particular attention to the cynical shelling of the coastal zone and port infrastructure in the Odesa region.
“There were drone strikes in Odesa, and one of the drones hit a Chinese-owned vessel. The Russians couldn’t have been unaware of which vessel was at sea,” he stated.
The Russian command deliberately took this step, despite the ship’s neutral status as a foreign vessel.
The scope of enemy shelling last night was exceptionally wide, resulting in extensive damage and civilian casualties. Zelenskyy noted that damage has been reported in eight regions of Ukraine.
As of now, dozens of casualties have been reported across the country, including children. Rescue and emergency services continue to clear the rubble.
Heavy weaponry remains the primary tool of terror against Ukrainian cities, and it is extremely difficult to counter it without specialized systems.
The President emphasized that Russia continues to use ballistic missiles to strike civilian populations.
Protection against this threat must become a key priority not only for our country but for the entire European continent.
The Head of State called on the leaders of European countries to join forces in creating a state-of-the-art technological shield.
“Russia relies on ballistic missiles to strike people, and that is precisely why we in Europe must do everything to ensure there is reliable protection against this. Europe must have its own anti-ballistic systems and be self-sufficient against these threats,” he stated.
Russia attacked a Chinese ship in Ukraine’s territorial waters
On the night of May 17, a number of Russian military-industrial complex and energy facilities in Moscow and the Moscow region were struck. Strikes were carried out on an oil depot in Durikino, an oil refinery in Kapotnya, the Angstrom microelectronics plant, and the Raduga Design Bureau, which develops cruise missiles.
On the morning of May 16, Moscow also came under attack by drones, causing airports in the Russian capital to temporarily suspend operations.
The “ATESH” partisan movement claimed responsibility for a sabotage operation in the Moscow region, which disrupted the functioning of elements of the Russian air defense system on the outskirts of the capital.
