Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia is preparing to escalate its military aggression beyond the war in Ukraine.
According to Zelensky, Russia is deploying new drones that Europe cannot yet defend against.
Speaking in Kyiv, Zelensky said President Vladimir Putin was testing Europe’s capabilities by exploiting weaknesses in air defense systems.
Putin will not wait for the war in Ukraine to end; he will open some other front. No one knows which one, and still doesn’t know for sure. But there is no doubt that he wants it.
He noted that the tests are especially against Russian drones that evade detection.
“He is testing Europe’s capabilities. He has found that Europeans currently do not have the ability to protect their skies from modern Russian drones,” Zelensky said.
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Zelensky Confirms Attack Affecting Civilians
Meanwhile, Zelensky has confirmed that a massive Russian aerial bombardment lasting more than 12 hours killed at least four people and injured 70 others in Ukraine.
According to the BBC, the attack involved nearly 600 drones and dozens of missiles fired across seven Ukrainian regions.
Additionally, the report noted that the attack concentrated on the capital, Kyiv.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said all the fatalities occurred in Kyiv, including a 12-year-old girl.
At the same time, emergency services confirmed that a nurse and a patient died when the Institute of Cardiology was struck.
Ukrainian authorities said the bombardment also damaged a large bakery, an automobile rubber factory, residential buildings, and other civilian infrastructure.
Air raid sirens began late on Saturday night at 22:00 GMT in Kyiv, followed by hours of explosions as drones and missiles were intercepted or slammed into targets.
Consequently, the country’s air alert app urged residents to head to shelters, sending repeated warnings as hundreds of drones descended.
Russia’s defense ministry claimed the assault was aimed at military facilities and industrial sites supporting Ukraine’s armed forces.
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Russia Defends Attacks as Poland Affected
The latest wave of drone and missile strikes also triggered alarms outside Ukraine.
In Poland, jets were scrambled as Russian weapons targeted western Ukraine.
Additionally, Poland’s military said the response was preventative, saying it had become routine since Polish and NATO forces shot down three Russian drones in Polish airspace on 10 September.
At the same time, Denmark noted earlier that drones had flown over its airports, blaming a professional actor but stopping short of naming Russia.
At the United Nations General Assembly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rejected claims that Moscow was preparing to expand its war.
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