Kyiv, May 1 — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged stronger international pressure and coordinated sanctions on Moscow after a large overnight drone assault that hit residential buildings and critical infrastructure across several regions.
In a post on X, Zelenskyy said Russian forces “once again waged war against ordinary apartment buildings in Odesa,” where five people were injured and fires broke out in two buildings. He reported another person wounded by a drone strike in Kryvyi Rih and additional strikes in the Sumy and Zaporizhzhia areas.
Zelenskyy emphasized deliberate hits on logistics and energy networks, noting that in Kharkiv region railway infrastructure — including traction substations — was attacked. He said damage and burning railcars left “thousands of families” without power.
Confirming the scale of the barrage, Zelenskyy said about 210 strike drones were used, roughly 140 of them identified as Shahed-type. He argued the frequency of such attacks underlines the need to intensify pressure on Russia to weaken its ability to continue the war and to improve security across Europe.
On sanctions, he called for continuation and synchronization with international partners, saying long-range measures are helping to “bring the Russians back to reality” and are needed to limit Moscow’s capacity to prolong hostilities.
Reiterating Kyiv’s stance on ending the conflict, Zelenskyy warned that if Russia will not choose diplomacy voluntarily, it must be compelled to do so, and he thanked international backers aiding that effort.
His call for forcing a diplomatic outcome followed a request for clarification about a Russian proposal for a short-term ceasefire after an April 29 phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. Zelenskyy said Ukraine seeks a long, reliable ceasefire and has instructed its envoys to contact the US President’s team to determine whether Moscow’s proposal would be only a few hours of safety — for example, for a parade in Moscow — or something substantive. “Our proposal is a long-term ceasefire, reliable and guaranteed security for people, and a lasting peace,” he said.
Following the Putin-Trump call, Trump said Putin had “suggested a little bit of a ceasefire” and hinted Moscow might make an announcement, adding he believed Putin had been ready to make a deal earlier but external factors had complicated progress.
(This report is based on a syndicated feed and is published as received; the publisher assumes no responsibility for its completeness or accuracy.)
