Russian Assault on Zaporizhzhia Escalates Tension in Europe

Kyiv, Sep 16 (AP) — Russian forces launched a rocket assault on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia overnight, injuring 13 people, including two children, according to officials on Tuesday. The attack led President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to call for European leaders to enhance security across the continent with a comprehensive air defense shield.

Despite the prolonged conflict that began with Russia's full-scale invasion over three and a half years ago, Russian strikes on Ukrainian civilian areas persist along the approximately 1,000-kilometer front line.

A resolution to the war remains elusive despite ongoing peace efforts led by the United States. Ultimatums and deadlines set by US President Donald Trump for President Vladimir Putin to engage in negotiations have passed without any visible progress or repercussions.

Over the last two weeks alone, Zelenskyy reported on Telegram that Russia has deployed more than 3,500 drones, over 2,500 powerful glide bombs, and nearly 200 missiles targeting Ukrainian sites.

These glide bombs, typically deployed by high-altitude jets well behind the front lines, along with drone swarms, continue to pose significant challenges to Ukrainian defenses. While glide bombs lack precision, they create extensive damage, and Ukraine lacks effective countermeasures against them.

Furthermore, Russian drones have recently appeared on Polish territory, prompting NATO to bolster the alliance's air defenses in light of escalating tensions with Moscow.

“Now is the time to implement the joint protection of our European skies with a multilayered air defense system. All the technologies for this are available,” Zelenskyy stated on Telegram. “We need investments and desire; we need strong actions and decisions from all our partners.”

In Zaporizhzhia, the Russian attack damaged over 20 apartment buildings and ignited fires, according to regional head Ivan Fedorov during a national television broadcast.

“We hadn't yet recovered from enemy strikes on August 30. We are currently repairing those buildings, those windows, but now the enemy has added more work for our municipal workers,” Fedorov said. (AP)

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