Kyiv [Ukraine], October 22 (ANI): A Russian drone struck a kindergarten in Ukraine's Kharkiv city after a massive overnight assault, killing one person and injuring seven others, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday.

'All the children have been safely evacuated and are now in shelters. Unfortunately, one person has been killed, my condolences to the bereaved family. Seven people have been injured and are receiving medical care,' Zelenskyy said in a post on X.

He said preliminary reports indicated that several children showed signs of acute stress after the strike. 'There is no justification for a drone strike on a kindergarten, nor can there ever be. Clearly, Russia is growing more brazen,' the president added.

Zelenskyy described the strike as 'Russia's spit in the face to everyone who insists on a peaceful resolution,' saying that 'thugs and terrorists can only be put in their place by force.'

https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1980926847845065132

The kindergarten attack came amid a wider overnight barrage of Russian strikes targeting multiple regions across Ukraine, including energy facilities and residential areas.

'Another night proves that Russia does not feel enough pressure for dragging out the war,' Zelenskyy said, adding that Ukrainian air defence forces and drone interceptor crews worked throughout the night to repel the attacks.

Zelenskyy urged Ukraine's international partners to step up pressure on Moscow through tighter sanctions and long-range weapon supplies.

'Russian words about diplomacy mean nothing as long as their leadership does not feel critical problems,' he said. 'This can be ensured only through sanctions, long-range capabilities, and coordinated diplomacy among all our partners.'

He called on the European Union, the United States, and the G7 nations to act quickly. 'It is high time the European Union adopted a strong sanctions package. We also count on measures from the United States and the G7. The world must not remain silent,' he said.

The Ukrainian leader has been seeking greater military and diplomatic backing from Western allies amid growing fatigue over the prolonged conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Zelenskyy's remarks came days after US President Donald Trump, while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, suggested that Ukraine should 'let go' of the occupied territories and end the fighting.

'We think that what they should do is just stop at the lines where they are, the battle lines. The rest is very tough to negotiate. If you're going to say you take this, we take that, there are so many different permutations,' Trump said.

He added that both sides should 'stop the conflict and go home,' comments that drew criticism from Kyiv, which has repeatedly said that it will not cede any of its territory to Russia.

The Russian Defence Ministry has not yet commented on the latest strikes on Kharkiv.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Kremlin accused European nations of undermining peace efforts and escalating the conflict, Russian New Agency TASS reported.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that European countries 'are showing no interest in peace' and are instead 'encouraging Kyiv to continue the war by every possible means.'

He also alleged that NATO members in Europe are preparing for a potential armed conflict with Russia while ignoring Moscow's previous proposals on regional security, according to TASS.

'In December 2021, European countries dismissed Moscow's initiatives to uphold and formalise the principle of indivisible security in the region. From the very first days of the special military operation in Ukraine, they began insisting on the need to achieve a 'strategic defeat' of Russia,' Peskov said.

He added that while European capitals maintain this stance, the United States, 'the de facto leader of NATO', has recently shown interest in a more 'constructive approach' toward Moscow. (ANI)