Zelensky calls for air defense aid after Russian strikes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia's leadership of acting irrationally and intensifying its war effort, following a series of overnight drone and missile attacks that struck civilian infrastructure across multiple regions. The president's remarks, delivered on July 13, came as he called for an urgent acceleration in international military support, including enhanced air defenses and tougher sanctions against Moscow.

The latest wave of Russian attacks targeted cities including Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, and the Kharkiv region overnight. In Odesa, drones struck a transport company, setting buses on fire and damaging homes, injuring four people including a child. Strikes in Zaporizhzhia hospitalized at least five people, with a woman and a teenage boy reported in critical condition, and damaged a hospital. The attacks also left tens of thousands without power in the Chernihiv region. The Ukrainian Air Force reported intercepting the majority of 134 drones and three missiles launched, though some strike drones reached their targets.

In a statement, Zelensky described the strikes as targeting "absolutely civilian objects" and asserted that the Russian leadership has...