Zelensky: Moscow Scorns Diplomatic Efforts, Putin Refuses Even Partial Ceasefire

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to Russia’s overnight attack, asserting that Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to ensure even a partial ceasefire.

Writing on his official Telegram channel on Wednesday, Zelensky addressed the continued use of strike drones by the Russian military, reporting that a total of 74 drones were launched overnight, 54 of which were “Shahed” kamikaze drones.

“A targeted attack on Kharkiv involved at least 14 drones. Unfortunately, there were hits, and there are wounded, including three children. All are receiving the necessary assistance,” Zelensky wrote.

He also reported on strikes in the Odesa and Sumy regions. In the Sumy region, an FPV drone hit an electrical substation, while in Nikopol, in the Dnipro region, an artillery strike damaged a power line.

“Almost 4,000 subscribers in two regions were left without electricity due to these strikes,” he reported.

Zelensky emphasized that Russian airstrikes using aerial guided bombs are also ongoing - nearly 50 of the weapons were launched against the Sumy region alone overnight on April 1 / 2.

“The systematic and persistent nature of Russia’s attacks clearly shows that Moscow is disdaining the diplomatic efforts of its partners. Putin does not even want to ensure a partial ceasefire,” Zelensky stated.

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He stressed that new and tangible pressure on Russia is urgently needed to bring the war to a conclusion.

“We should not wait until April 11, when it will be a month since Russia said ‘no’ to the US proposal for a ceasefire. We need to act as soon as possible,” he wrote.

Zelensky also expressed Ukraine’s readiness to work constructively with its partners in the US, Europe, and around the world to achieve “a worthy and lasting peace.”

The Ukrainian Air Force (UAF) confirmed on Telegram that by 09:00 on Wednesday, April 2, 41 Shahed UAVs had been shot down across the north, south, and east of Ukraine with 20 Russian decoy drones being lost without significant impact.

The Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Odesa regions were among the hardest hit by the Russian attack.

For the first time in nearly six months, Russia refrained from launching Shahed drones over Ukraine on the night of March 31 / April 1, but used missiles and guided bombs with the UAF intercepting two Kh-59/69 cruise missiles.

While there was a pause in drone strikes, Russia continued heavy bombardment on Monday and Tuesday, targeting Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk with glide bombs. In Nikopol, artillery and drone strikes damaged infrastructure but caused no casualties.

Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha stated on Tuesday that Russia is violating the so-called “energy truce.” A morning strike on April 1 damaged a power facility in Kherson, leaving 45,000 households without electricity. He also highlighted similar attacks in Kharkiv and Poltava.