Zelenskyy on large-scale drone attack on Ukraine: Russia does not want to end war, more pressure needed

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the large-scale Russian drone attack on Ukraine which began on the night of 23-24 March and continued during the day on 24 March shows that Russia has no intention of ending the war and that more pressure is needed.

Source: Zelenskyy in his evening address on 24 March

Quote: "Today, Russia has been pounding Ukraine with Shaheds virtually around the clock, starting from the night. There was a large-scale strike overnight, with both missiles and Shaheds. All day there have been new waves of drones. Over 550 drones of various types were launched during the day alone. A significant number of them were Shaheds."

Details: Zelenskyy said the attack covered a wide area and although most of the drones were shot down, there were still strikes in the cities of Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Vinnytsia and Zhytomyr and in Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.

Quote: "Sadly, there have been fatalities. My condolences go out to the families and loved ones. As of now, more than 40 people are known to have been injured, including five children. Everyone is receiving the help they need."

More details: Zelenskyy said that one of Russia's main targets was the energy sector as it continues its efforts to break Ukraine and its energy system. There have also been strikes on civilians' homes, including attacks on the centres of Ukrainian cities and the historic centre of Lviv. A fire broke out in the buildings of St Andrew's Church in Lviv.

Quote: "The history of this church dates back to the early 17th century. Iranian-made Shaheds, modified by Russia, are striking a church in Lviv – this is absolute perversity, and only people like Putin could enjoy it. In Ivano-Frankivsk, a maternity hospital has been damaged.

The scale of this attack shows very clearly that Russia has no real intention of ending this war. And if we take into account the fact that Russia is also helping the Iranian regime to carry out strikes across the whole region, the conclusion is inescapable: without additional and strong pressure on Russia, without significant Russian losses, those people over there in Moscow will have no desire to move away from war and somehow get used to peace again."

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