Russia has identified priority targets for further attacks on Ukraine in the coming weeks. Since 11 October, Russian forces have already carried out more than 170 strikes on key Ukrainian energy facilities.
President said Volodymyr Zelenskyy this after receiving a report on efforts to deal with the aftermath of Russian attacks.
The head of state noted that Russia is taking advantage of delays in the delivery of air defence systems from partners. A reduction in pressure on Moscow from certain countries is also convincing Vladimir Putin that he can achieve his goals.
Zelenskyy stressed the need to increase pressure on Russia and speed up the delivery of defence assistance that partners have already approved.
The President instructed the Ministry of Defence, together with the military command and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to brief partners on the real situation and the threats indicated by Ukrainian intelligence.
Monastery Buildings Damaged in Iskander Strike
Zelenskyy also reported that Russia is continuing its attacks on Ukrainian cities and communities. In particular, overnight Russia used three ballistic missiles with cluster warheads against Kyiv. Cluster warheads detonate in the air and can hit everything around them within a radius of up to 400 metres. The President stressed that there were no military facilities near the strike site.
"One of these missiles hit Pechersk — the historic centre of Kyiv, specifically the area between the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra and the Holy Presentation Monastery. The monastery buildings were damaged, along with ordinary homes, shops, cafés and other civilian infrastructure in the city," the President said.
During the day, Russian forces continued shelling, Zelenskyy added. In Kharkiv, a city commuter train came under attack; Dnipro, Marhanets, Mykolaiv, Kherson and settlements in a number of regions of Ukraine were also hit.
- Earlier, presidential adviser on technology Serhii Beskrestnov spoke about the Iskander missile strike on Kyiv using a K5 cluster warhead. The warhead contains 58 submunitions that detonate in the air and scatter over an area of roughly 400 by 400 metres. Beskrestnov stressed that the strike had no military purpose and was aimed at destroying the historic part of the city and hitting as many people as possible.