Zelensky Condemns ‘Vile’ Russian Attacks That Lasted 12 Hours

The attack, which used around 600 drones and dozens of missiles targeting seven regions of Ukraine, was one of the heaviest in recent months. The air assault, which lasted more than 12 hours, killed at least four people and injured over 70 nationwide. President Volodymyr Zelensky said that all the deaths occurred in the capital Kyiv, where most of the missiles hit, adding that one of the victims was a 12-year-old girl. 

Kyiv woke up to loud explosions, drones flying overhead, and the rumble of air defense systems. When the air raid alert ended at 9:13 a.m. (06:13 GMT) — about seven hours after the assault began — smoke was seen rising into the morning sky from one of the strike locations. 

Reuters journalists visited a suburban area of Kyiv where newly built homes were almost completely destroyed, and parked vehicles were crushed by falling debris. Residents whose windows were blown out by the blast were seen examining the wreckage, while others took shelter in metro stations, following updates on their phones. The main targets were Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, along with the regions of Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, and Odesa. Kyiv suffered one of its worst bombardments since Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Zelensky described the attack as “vile and barbaric. 

Zelensky Calls on International Partners to Take Action 

Zelensky said Ukraine would “respond” to Russia in order to “force diplomacy” and emphasized that he expected a “strong reaction” from Europe and the United States. 

“This vile attack took place during the last week of the UN General Assembly, and this is how Russia declares its true position,” he said. 

Zelensky reaffirmed his support for U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to impose tougher sanctions on Russia and for his calls urging European allies to limit imports of Russian oil and gas. Zelensky wrote on Telegram: 

“Russia is showing its true attitude. Moscow wants to keep fighting and killing and deserves the strongest pressure in the world. As long as there are energy funds and a shadow fleet, it benefits the Kremlin to continue this war and terror.” 

New Statements from Trump on the War 

Trump recently shifted his stance on the war, saying last week for the first time that Ukraine might be able to regain the territories it lost to Moscow as the Russian economy collapses under the strain of a prolonged conflict. Although the U.S. President has so far refrained from imposing additional sanctions on Russia, he appears increasingly frustrated with the Kremlin’s reluctance to begin peace talks. 

Russia’s Drone Strikes Prompt NATO Response 

Meanwhile, after Russia struck western Ukraine, the country’s armed forces reported early Sunday morning that jets had been scrambled in neighboring Poland. The Polish military described these flights — which have become routine since Polish and NATO aircraft shot down three Russian drones over Polish airspace on September 10 — as “preventive actions .” 

Denmark’s Ministry of Defense confirmed on Sunday that drones had again been sighted over military bases for the second consecutive night. In response, NATO announced it would enhance its mission over the Baltic Sea, increase surveillance, and deploy at least one air-defense frigate to the area. 

The incidents followed a series of drone appearances over Danish airports that disrupted air traffic. Danish officials said there was no evidence linking the events to Russia, even though they described them as deliberate. Moscow has denied any involvement. 

Along with Poland, Estonia and Romania also accused Russia of violating their airspace. This has led NATO to strengthen its eastern flank with a new structural deployment. Trump went as far as to say that NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft entering their airspace. 

References:

BBC News. (2025, September 28). Zelenskyy condemns 'vile' and deadly Russian strikes on Ukraine; Denmark bans all civilian drones for EU summit – as it happened. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c75qeqr5905o 

Reuters. (2025, September 28). Russia launches major drone, missile attack on Ukraine; still ongoing. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/russian-launches-major-drone-missile-attack-ukraine-still-ongoing-2025-09-28/ 

Harding, L. (2025, September 28). Hundreds of Russian missiles and drones hit Ukraine as Poland scrambles jets. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/28/hundreds-of-russian-missiles-and-drones-hit-ukraine-as-poland-scrambles-jets