Ukraine Hit by at Least '800' Russian Drones, Several Dead and Injured

On Wednesday, May 13, Russia launched at least '800 drones' against Ukraine, resulting in at least six fatalities, as reported by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who accused Moscow of deliberately timing the attacks to coincide with the arrival of U.S. President Donald Trump in China.

These drone strikes, which also caused several injuries across Ukraine, highlight the escalation of bombardments during daylight hours and in regions that are often far from the front lines. "It cannot be considered a coincidence that one of the most massive and prolonged Russian attacks on Ukraine occurs precisely when the U.S. President is visiting China—an event that is highly anticipated," stated Volodymyr Zelensky.

He once again urged Ukraine's allied countries to "apply real pressure" on Moscow to halt these strikes in a social media message. Earlier in the day, the Ukrainian president had urged his U.S. counterpart to discuss ways to end the Russian invasion during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"We are in constant contact with our American partners. We are grateful to them and hope that the issue of ending the war waged by Russia against Ukraine will also be addressed on this occasion when the U.S. President is in China," Volodymyr Zelensky said in a speech during a summit in Romania.

According to Ukrainian regional authorities, three people were killed in the western Rivne region, two in the southern Kherson region, and one in the Zaporijjia region, also in southern Ukraine. In Kyiv, where air raid sirens sounded repeatedly throughout the day, journalists from Agence France-Presse (AFP) observed people seeking refuge in metro stations. One of these alerts lasted for 1.5 hours.

Ukrainian intelligence services claimed on Wednesday that Russia had launched "a combined air attack on Ukraine that could potentially prolong," initially using drones to "overload" air defenses, in order to target critical infrastructure more effectively. Last week, a three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, negotiated under U.S. auspices, was marred by mutual accusations of violations.

Source: France 24