Volodymyr Zelenskyy (ANI)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that he spoke with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte to discuss Russia’s latest “vile” offensive and efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s defence capabilities.Zelenskyy also highlighted discussions on the PURL (Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List) initiative, a program designed to help Kyiv acquire weapons systems to protect its citizens.“I spoke with @/SecGenNATO Mark Rutte and thanked him for all the support. I shared details of today’s vile Russian strike – attack drones, missiles, including ballistic ones. We discussed the PURL initiative, which we deeply value. It is already moving forward well,” Zelenskyy said through a post on X. A Russian aerial assault lasting more than 12 hours killed at least four people and injured more than 70 across Ukraine, officials said.Zelenskyy said that all four fatalities occurred in Kyiv, where many of the strikes were concentrated. Among the victims was a 12-year-old girl.The attack, involving nearly 600 drones and dozens of missiles targeting seven regions, was described as one of the most intense barrages in recent months. Ukraine’s defence minister Igor Klymenko said the strikes damaged more than 100 civilian sites nationwide, leaving entire neighborhoods in ruins. Emergency services reported that an attack on Kyiv’s Institute of Cardiology killed a nurse and a patient, as cited by the BBC. Zelenskyy added that a major bakery, a rubber factory, apartment buildings, and other civilian infrastructure were also hit.Russia has escalated its aerial campaign against Ukraine through the spring and summer of 2025, and officials are warning citizens to prepare for renewed mass strikes on energy infrastructure as winter approaches, as reported by the Kyiv Independent.Earlier in September, Moscow carried out a record attack involving more than 810 Shahed-type drones and 13 missiles, one of which struck the Cabinet of Ministers building in central Kyiv. Two nights later, Russian forces launched another assault that hit Ukraine and breached Polish airspace.That incident marked the first time a Nato member has downed Russian drones since the start of the full-scale war.
