Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack, reiterating his plea to Western allies for additional air defence systems.
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Rescue crews in southern Ukraine worked overnight to save two women trapped beneath rubble for more than seven hours after a Russian missile struck a private medical clinic in Zaporizhzhia late Tuesday.
The attack killed six people and injured 22 others, according to Ukraine’s Emergency Services. The women were able to contact rescuers using their mobile phones.
Deadly strikes on civilian areas have been a hallmark of the nearly three-year war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack, reiterating the urgent need for more air defence systems from Western allies.
“We currently do not have enough systems to protect our country from Russian missiles. But partners have these systems,” Zelenskyy said in his daily address.
He urged allies to deploy air defence weaponry from their arsenals, stating these systems “should save lives, and not gather dust in storage bases.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine continued its long-range strikes on Russian-held areas.
A Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire at an industrial facility in Russia’s Bryansk region, where air defences reportedly intercepted 14 drones early on Wednesday, according to Russian authorities
Additionally, a Ukrainian missile strike damaged an industrial plant in Taganrog, in Russia’s Rostov region, Governor Yuri Slusar said.
Zelenskyy expressed his willingness on Monday to consider the deployment of Western troops in Ukraine as part of efforts to secure the country and work towards ending the war with Russia.
On Telegram, he emphasised that such a move would align with Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO, but stressed the need for a clear timeline regarding the country’s accession to both NATO and the European Union.
“But before that, we must have a clear understanding of when Ukraine will be in the European Union and when Ukraine will be in NATO.”