Ukraine Vows Tougher Russia Sanctions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv is preparing measures with international partners to intensify pressure on Russia after a two-day aerial assault that killed at least 10 people in Kyiv and injured 45 others. Rescue teams continued searching a destroyed residential building for survivors and identifying people whose whereabouts remained unknown.

In an address published May 14, Zelenskyy said Russia had launched more than 1,500 drones and 56 missiles during the attacks, striking areas across Ukraine, including Zakarpattia, Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Rivne, Volyn, Odesa, Poltava and Sumy. Ukrainian authorities were still assessing the casualties and damage in the affected regions.

Zelenskyy said preliminary findings indicated that an Kh-101 missile struck the Kyiv apartment building. He alleged that the missile’s reported manufacture during the second quarter of the year showed Russia continued obtaining components and equipment despite international sanctions. He called for tighter measures to prevent sanctions evasion and said proposed actions should make sanctions “more painful” for Moscow.

The president also said Ukrainian officials had reviewed the country’s air-defense response and future requirements. He reported a 93% interception rate for drones but said missile defense, particularly against ballistic weapons, remained more difficult. Zelenskyy urged faster cooperation among European countries on air-defense production and said Kyiv was working with Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the United States and other partners on military support, a proposed €90 billion European assistance package and Ukraine’s European Union accession.