More than 20 civilians have died due to a "brutal Russian attack" with an aerial bomb on a village in the Donetsk region, as reported by Volodymyr Zelensky. "Directly on the people. Ordinary civilians. At the very moment when pensions were being distributed," announced the Ukrainian president, who has called on Kiev's allies to increase pressure on Russia to end the war.
"The world cannot remain silent. The world cannot stand idly by. A response from the United States is needed. A response from Europe is needed. A response from the G20 is needed."
Hours before this attack, Zelensky had reiterated the need to strengthen Ukraine's air defenses. "Strengthening air defenses is the number one priority of this Ramstein and our contacts with Europe and the US in general," he had said in his Monday night address.
According to the Financial Times, Ukraine is at risk of not having enough air defense systems because the Pentagon has slowed down military aid shipments.
Costa warns that Russia poses an intercontinental threat
The President of the European Council, António Costa, stated on Tuesday that the United States should understand that Russia not only poses a threat to Europe but also, as an "intercontinental country," faces the Pacific.
Those "concerned about security in the Pacific should also be concerned about Russia because Russia is not only here, in the Baltic Sea, but also on the other side of its territory, in the Pacific. And this is something that the United States should never forget," Costa said during a joint press conference with the Prime Minister of Latvia, Evika Silia.
The President of the European Council referred to reports that the United States could cut or suspend military aid to European countries bordering Russia, including the Baltic states. "Of course, these signals (about reducing military aid), which have also been publicly expressed by the US Administration, are now a cause for concern here in Latvia," Silia declared, although she emphasized that there is no official information about a reduction or suspension.
"In any case, our Foreign Service has already proactively addressed this issue. We also expect the US Congress to support it (maintaining aid), but at the moment, it is still under discussion," said the Prime Minister.
The Governor of Donetsk, Vadym Filashkin, specified on Telegram that 21 people were killed and 21 others were injured in the attack, which hit a line of elderly people waiting to receive their pensions.
"This is not war. This is pure terrorism," wrote the governor.
Yarova is located 24 kilometers from the city of Sloviansk and 10 kilometers from the front line. The territory was occupied by Russia in 2022 but was later liberated by the Ukrainian armed forces in a counteroffensive that same year.
Zelensky: "Strong measures are needed to prevent Russia from causing more deaths"
"These Russian attacks should not go unnoticed by the world. The Russians continue to destroy lives but avoid new sanctions and strong attacks. The world must not remain silent. The world must not remain inactive. A response from the United States is needed. A response from Europe is needed. A response from the G20 is needed. Strong measures are needed to prevent Russia from causing more deaths," Volodymyr Zelensky has urged.
Over 20 dead in the Donetsk region
Volodymyr Zelensky announced on his X account a "brutal Russian attack" with an aerial bomb that has caused over 20 deaths in Yarova, in the Donetsk region. "Directly on the people. Ordinary civilians. Right at the moment when pensions were being paid. According to preliminary information, over 20 people died. There are no words... My condolences to all the families and loved ones of the victims. These Russian attacks must not go unanswered by the world," wrote the Ukrainian president.
Fire at an oil depot in Belgorod
A Ukrainian drone caused a fire on Tuesday at an oil depot in the Russian region of Belgorod, as reported by Efe. "The fire at the oil depot in the village of Prokhorovka has been completely extinguished. There are no casualties. The attack damaged the tanks," said the regional governor, Viacheslav Gladkov, on his Telegram channel.
Gladkov, who did not specify the time of the attack, also reported that over the last 24 hours, the region was targeted by more than 70 enemy drones, causing damage in various locations.
Zelensky expects to obtain more anti-aircraft defenses at the Ramstein meeting
Kiev's priority is to obtain new contributions from its partners to strengthen its air defenses at the meeting of the so-called Ramstein group, which includes countries providing military support to Ukraine, held on Tuesday in London.
This was expressed by the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, in his national address at the end of each day, after Russia destroyed part of the Ukrainian Government headquarters in Kiev on Sunday with an Iskander missile carrying cluster munitions, an unprecedented attack targeting a key state institution.
"Strengthening air defenses is the number one priority of this Ramstein and our contacts with Europe and the US in general," said Zelensky.
European countries are now supporting with funding for the production of anti-aircraft systems in Ukraine or jointly. Some of them have also provided funds for Ukraine to purchase more Patriot anti-missile systems from the US, which, with the arrival of President Donald Trump at the White House, has stopped offering free assistance to Kiev.
According to the Financial Times, Ukraine is at risk of not having enough air defense systems because the Pentagon has slowed down military aid shipments after an internal review.
Ukraine neutralizes 60 Russian drones, while 23 hit ten different locations
Since Monday afternoon, Russia has launched 83 long-distance drones against Ukraine, of which 60 have been neutralized by Ukrainian defenses, and 23 have hit ten different locations in Ukrainian territory, according to Tuesday's report from the Ukrainian Air Force.
The figures provided by the Air Force confirm a decrease in the interception levels of their air defenses even when the enemy launches a relatively low number of drones, as was the case last night. Ukraine used to shoot down almost 100% of the missiles and drones launched by the Russians.
Russia shoots down 31 Ukrainian drones over five of its regions and annexed Crimea
The Russian Ministry of Defense has reported that its anti-aircraft defenses have shot down a total of 31 Ukrainian drones over five regions of the country, the annexed Crimea, and the Black Sea, as reported by Efe.
According to the Russian military command, 15 of the unmanned aircraft shot down last night were intercepted over the Black Sea waters, which bathe the Crimean peninsula. In that territory, annexed by Russia in 2014, the anti-aircraft defense systems destroyed two Ukrainian drones.
The remaining aircraft, Defense added, were shot down over the regions of Belgorod (seven), Kursk (three), Krasnodar (two), Tambov (1), and Voronezh (one).
A man died as a result of a Ukrainian drone attack overnight on the Russian city of Sochi, on the Black Sea, as denounced by Russian authorities. The remains of the drone hit the car driven by the victim in the Adler district.
In addition, six residential houses were damaged, specified Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratiev on Telegram.