"Russia exploits the war in the Middle East," says Zelensky as Moscow launches a new bombardment against Ukraine

3 minutes of readingMarch 15, 2026 02:20 pm IST

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of exploiting the war in the Middle East to cause “even greater destruction” in Europe, in Ukraine.

He said his country needed air defense missiles, especially those “capable of countering ballistic threats, regardless of what may be happening elsewhere in the world.”

“Russia will try to take advantage of the war in the Middle East to cause even greater destruction here in Europe, in Ukraine. That is why we must be fully aware of the real level of the threat and prepare accordingly, that is: in Europe, we need to develop the production of air defense missiles, especially those capable of countering ballistic threats, as well as all other systems necessary to truly protect lives, regardless of what may be happening elsewhere in the world,” the Ukrainian leader said.

Efforts are currently underway to deal with the aftermath of the massive Russian attack in the kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Mykolaiv regions. All necessary services are involved. The main objective of the Russians was the energy infrastructure of the kyiv region, but… pic.twitter.com/ddqRUmQFkt

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 14, 2026

Zelensky’s comments came after Russia launched airstrikes against Ukraine on Saturday (March 14), killing at least six people.

He said Russia, in the latest bombardment, fired about 500 types of drones and missiles, most of which were intercepted by the country’s air defense systems, but caused significant damage.

“Efforts are currently underway to deal with the consequences of the massive Russian attack in the kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Mykolaiv regions. All necessary services are involved. The main target of the Russians was the energy infrastructure of the Kiev region, but unfortunately, there were also direct hits and damage to ordinary residential buildings, schools and civilian businesses. So far, four people have been reported dead. My deepest condolences to their families and loved ones. Many people have died. “They were injured and some are still seeking medical assistance,” Zelensky said in a post on X.

“During the night, the Russians launched about 430 drones of various types and a significant number of missiles. There were only 13 ballistic missiles, and the total number of missiles in this attack was 68. According to preliminary data, 58 of them were intercepted by our air defense system,” he said.

Russia supplies Shahed drones to Iran, says Zelensky

Zelensky said Russia was supplying Iran with Shahed drones for use in its war against the United States and Israel.

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In an interview with CNN, the Ukrainian president said it is “100% true” that Iran used the Russian-made Shaheds to attack US bases.

Iran spearheaded the development of the Shaheds, which Ukraine says were used by Moscow in its aggression against kyiv.

Although Iran initially provided the drone, Russia now manufactures its own Shaheds.

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