Zelensky: Russia fired 2,000 drones, 1,700 aerial bombs, and 19 missiles at Ukraine in one week

Vladimir Zelensky said on Sunday that over the past week Russia had struck Ukraine with more than 2,000 attack drones, 1,700 guided aerial bombs, and 19 missiles of various types.

According to Zelensky, the majority of the drones used were jet-powered — they fly at higher speeds and pose a greater challenge for air defenses. The weekly summary was published by the president on Facebook.

Zelensky again called on Western partners to impose additional sanctions against Russia.

“Right now is the right moment for new sanctions steps against the aggressor and for achieving peace from a position of strength,” the Ukrainian president said.

Over the past week, Russian strikes hit civilian and critical infrastructure in the Kharkiv, Sumy, and Odesa regions, as well as residential buildings in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. The Vinnytsia, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Cherkasy regions were also attacked.

Among the most tragic incidents of the week was a strike by a Russian FPV drone on a monastery in the village of Chervonyi Mayak in the Kherson region. A shopping center in Dnipro was also attacked — at least four civilians were wounded. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, on the night of September 19–20, Russia launched 138 drones, of which 101 were shot down or suppressed by electronic warfare means.

On September 19, Zelensky announced that he had approved “new long-range operations in response to Russian strikes” — following a meeting with Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi and Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara.

“We are preparing to expand our capabilities in terms of long-range weapons,” Zelensky said, without specifying targets or timelines.

According to officials, Ukraine is already capable of striking targets more than 3,000 kilometers from Ukrainian territory. The country is increasingly using long-range drones to strike oil facilities, military infrastructure, and logistics hubs deep in Russian rear areas.

Alongside the expansion of offensive operations, Zelensky said on September 19 that a new Ukrainian interceptor drone had successfully hit two Russian Shaheds in combat conditions, including the jet-powered Geran-5 variant. According to him, several anti-drone defense systems have already confirmed their effectiveness, and Ukraine is working on their mass production.