Shelling of Zaporizhzhia on September 16, 2025. Volodymyr Zelensky / Telegram
As reported by the online media Suspilne.
Since the beginning of September, Russia has fired at Ukrainian cities more than 3,500 drones of various types, nearly 190 missiles and over 2,500 aerial bombs. President Volodymyr Zelensky said this early on September 16.
A Threat to the Skies and the Path to a Collective Defense
“There have been provocations against partners as well. This is precisely the air terror Ukraine proposes to defend against together. So that no one has to rush to scramble combat aircraft and feel Russia’s pressure on their borders.”
According to the head of state, now is the time to establish a joint defense of Europe’s skies through a multi-layered air-defense system. He added that all that’s needed are the right decisions and the deployment of existing technologies in coordinated work among partners.
“Investment and will are needed, strong actions and decisions from all our partners are required.”
In the context of the shelling on September 16, the head of state noted that in Zaporizhzhia rescuers completed extinguishing a fire after a rocket artillery strike. He stressed that the Russians acted deliberately with the aim of terror – 13 people were injured, among them two children. Many residential buildings were damaged. In the Mykolaiv region, one person died as a result of the shelling. Kyiv region, Sumy region, Kharkiv region, Donetsk region and Kherson region were also under attack – in just one night more than 100 drones and about 150 KAB bombs were recorded. The work of all necessary services continues at full capacity.
This underscores the need for coordinated defense and active support from partners to protect the skies and the civilian population from aggression.
Read also:
- On September 13, Russian forces launched a massive airstrike on Ukraine using Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles and 164 attack drones, with Ukrainian air defenses intercepting 137 drones.
- Russian drone attacks caused fires and damage in Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia regions, with no casualties reported in Kyiv but casualties in Zaporizhzhia.
- Ukraine faced a massive night attack by Russia on September 7, involving over 800 drones and 13 missiles, causing significant damage and casualties across multiple regions, including Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Odesa.
