Zelenskyy urges ‘firm and decisive’ response to ‘latest act of Russian madness’, seeks new air-defence systems

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday urged the world leaders to “respond firmly and decisively” after Russia launched an experimental, nuclear-capable ballstic missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday.

In an evening video address published on social media, Zelenskyy said he was “grateful” to those who have responded to this “latest act of Russian madness”, but that “worlds alone are not enough – action is required”.

He said the world must respond “firmly and decisively” so that Putin fears expanding this war and faces real consequences for his actions.

“True peace can only be achieved through strength — there is no other way,” he added.

He also called upon the Western partners for updated air defence systems after Russia boasted its new “Oreshnik” hypersonic missile is unstoppable by air defences and has no equivalent anywhere in the world.

“Ukraine’s defence minister is already holding meetings with our partners on new air defence systems – exactly the kind of systems that can protect lives from new risks,” Zelenskyy said.

Russia’s launch of the missile was the latest dramatic escalation in the conflict after Kyiv earlier this week fired shorter-range US and UK-supplied missiles onto Russian territory for the first time.

Zelenskyy also called out Moscow’s key ally China for its response to Moscow’s new missile, which experts say can likely be equipped with a nuclear warhead and fly several thousand kilometres.

China’s foreign ministry said “all parties should remain calm and exercise restraint.”

“From Russia, this is a mockery of the position of states such as China, states of the Global South, some leaders who call for restraint every time,” said Zelensky.

“The world must sound serious in its response, so that Putin is really afraid of expanding the war and feels the real consequences of his actions,” he added.

Kyiv relies on Western weapons to defend against the Russian invasion, launched almost three years ago.

Moscow, however, has said the use of Western arms against Russian territory makes NATO countries direct participants in the conflict, and that military sites on their territory legitimate targets for retaliatory strikes.

Both sides are hurrying to secure a battlefield advantage before Donald Trump is inaugurated as US president in January.

Trump has said that he can broker a peace deal in hours, though has provided no details on his plan, and repeatedly criticised American aid to Ukraine.

With inputs from agencies