By Emem Nsini-Godwin
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has condemned a fresh wave of Russian drone attacks across Ukraine, revealing that 160 students were inside a university in Kyiv when Russian Shahed drones struck the institution during classes.
Zelenskyy, in a statement posted on X on Wednesday, September 2, said the students survived after taking shelter as the drones hit the university.
“Today, Russian ‘Shaheds’ struck one of the universities in Kyiv – right during classes. Fortunately, the students were in the shelter – 160 students,” he said.
The Ukrainian president said the latest attacks also affected several other parts of the country, including Odesa, Kherson and the Kharkiv region.
According to Zelenskyy, Russian strikes in Odesa damaged a residential building and city infrastructure, leaving five people injured, including a child.
He also reported that a building used by first responders and police in Kherson was hit, while thousands of residents in the Kharkiv region were left without electricity following another strike.
Zelenskyy said air raid alerts remained active across several regions amid continued threats from jet-powered drones and aerial bombs.
The Ukrainian leader criticised the international community for what he described as an inadequate response to the latest escalation, warning that Russia’s sustained use of Iranian-designed Shahed drones poses a broader threat beyond Ukraine.
He argued that Russia’s battlefield tactics could potentially be replicated against other countries if the international community fails to respond decisively.
“When Russian-Iranian ‘Shaheds’ are waging this kind of round-the-clock terror in Europe, it cannot remain a problem for our country alone,” Zelenskyy said.
He called on Ukraine’s international partners to strengthen air defence support, impose tougher sanctions on Russia and increase defence production.
“Now is the time to act. Evil must be stopped the moment it rears its head,” he said.
The attacks come as the Russia-Ukraine war continues, with Moscow regularly using drones and missiles against Ukrainian cities, residential areas and critical infrastructure. Kyiv has continued to seek increased military assistance and air-defence systems from its international allies as it attempts to protect civilians and critical facilities from aerial attacks.
