In a plea sharpened by grief and urgency, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is calling on Western allies to allow Ukraine to carry out strikes deeper into Russian territory. Zelenskiy’s appeal follows a devastating Russian attack on Kharkiv early Tuesday that left three dead, including two boys aged 11 and 15, and wounded at least 36 others. The strike, which used an FAB-500 guided aerial bomb on a densely populated nine-story apartment building, has shaken Ukraine’s second-largest city and prompted renewed pressure on Ukraine’s allies for more assertive action.
Video footage of the aftermath showed smoldering debris and emergency responders pulling victims from the rubble in Kharkiv’s Saltiv district, where parts of the city plunged into darkness following the strike. Governor Oleh Synyehubov confirmed that the bombing, which ignited a fire on the fourth floor of the building, was the third major assault on the city this week. Earlier attacks on Kharkiv’s central and Osnovyanskiy districts also used guided aerial bombs and missiles, killing at least four other civilians.
Zelenskiy, in a message posted on X, highlighted the daily toll of Russia’s attacks: “Tragically, there are casualties, including children, and more people may still be trapped under the rubble,” he wrote. He condemned the Russian bombardments as a relentless threat to civilian lives and demanded action from Ukraine’s Western partners. “Every delayed decision on their part means dozens or even hundreds more Russian bombs used against Ukraine. Their decisions are the lives of our people,” he added.
For months, Zelenskiy has pushed for Western permission to target military sites within Russia’s borders, arguing that only direct strikes on Russian infrastructure would effectively disrupt Moscow’s ability to launch attacks on Ukrainian civilians. The Ukrainian leader is specifically advocating for the use of long-range systems like Britain’s Storm Shadow cruise missiles and America’s ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems), which can target Russian assets deep inside Russia, particularly those involved in manufacturing and logistics for guided bombs and missiles.
Western nations, including the U.S. and the U.K., have so far resisted, citing fears of escalating the conflict beyond Ukraine’s borders. However, Ukraine maintains that such strikes would primarily target Russia’s military infrastructure, arguing that a more robust defense would not only protect Ukrainians but also diminish Moscow’s capacity to destabilize the region.
For Kharkiv residents, however, survival remains the immediate priority. As the city reels from repeated bombings, survivors are voicing their anguish. In an emotional video, one resident who narrowly escaped the latest attack said, “I don’t want to leave,” underscoring the grim resilience of civilians caught in the crossfire.
As winter nears and Russian bombardments continue, Zelenskiy’s message to Western allies is clear: allow Ukraine the means to strike back. With the death toll rising and Russian forces intensifying their tactics against civilians, Zelenskiy’s plea may test the West’s commitment to helping Ukraine defend itself—and force a reckoning over how far that support will go.
Sources for this article include: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
