Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that heavy drone attacks on Russia were retaliation for a strike that damaged a historic monastery in Kyiv this week, warning that “Moscow will burn” if Russian strikes continue.
“We don’t want this war, we never did, and everyone knows it, and our partners know it,” Zelensky said in a voice message sent to reporters on a WhatsApp group. “But if Ukraine burns, your Moscow will burn.”
Scores of drones targeted Moscow overnight, hitting the Russian capital’s oil refinery for the second time this week, according to Zelensky.
At least 10 people were killed on Monday across Ukraine in a drone and missile attack that also damaged the 1,000-year-old Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery.
Retaliation linked to Kyiv monastery strike
Zelensky said the latest Ukrainian strikes inside Russia were a response to the damage caused to the historic Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery during Russian attacks earlier in the week.
He described the monastery strike as part of a broader pattern of Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
Calls for more air defense and sanctions
Zelensky said he was due to attend a meeting of Ukraine’s military allies in Brussels on Thursday, where discussions would focus on air defense supplies through a NATO program and the possible creation of an anti-ballistic missile system involving Ukraine and its allies.
He also called for increased international pressure on Russia, including sanctions targeting its defence and energy sectors as well as its wider economy.
“Everyone need to put pressure on Putin: Ukrainians, absolutely all the Europeans, Americans, and Russians – it’s time to sober up and put pressure on their leader,” he said.
