Zelenskyy Accuses Russia of Using Iran-Made Drones in Mass Strikes
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Salma Hossein
- . October 11, 2022
- . Update: November 11, 2022 12:42 am
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has accused Russia of targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure using Iran-made drones and missiles.
He said that Russia used Iranian drones to attack Ukrainian cities during rush hour on Monday, killing civilians and damaging infrastructure. In a social media address, Zelenskyy also accused Russia of wanting to “wipe” Ukraine “from the face of the Earth.”
According to media reports, in retaliation for an explosion that damaged a key bridge to Moscow-annexed Crimea, Russian forces on Monday bombed various Ukrainian cities, killing at least 10 people. According to Ukraine’s national police service, at least 60 people were also injured in the mass strikes.
At least 75 missiles tore into Ukraine on Monday. According to Lviv mayor Andriy Sadovyi, Lviv in western Ukraine was hit with electricity because bombardments targeted infrastructures. The Ukrainian president said that Russian forces used Iranian-made drones sent from neighbouring Belarus. He reportedly said, “The enemy used Iranian Shahed-136 UAVs in strikes launched from the territory of Belarus.” He said that Russian bombs targeted various cities, including Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia in the centre of the country and Lviv in the east. He accused Russian forces of launching the strikes with the aim of “causing as much damage as possible.”
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The Ukrainian military reportedly said that Russian forces fired more than 80 missiles on cities across the country. The strikes came a day after Russia blamed Ukraine for the blast on a bridge linking Crimea to Russia.
Later on, the president of Ukraine also talked with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron about the incident. He urged a tough response against Russia.
Russian President, Vladimir Putin, reportedly said, “If attempts at terrorist attacks continue, the response from Russia will be severe.” Putin’s predecessor, Dmitry Medvedev, warned on social media that the strikes were only “the first episode.”
