Zelenskyy Says Putin Is Set To Escalate The War Further. He Is Calling For More Sanctions And Support.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin is gearing up to escalate the war, calling on allies and partners to increase pressure on Moscow and ramp up support for Kyiv.
Zelenskyy said in a social media post on Monday night that the city of Zaporizhzhia was hit by North Korean “missiles, Zircons, and guided aerial bombs.”
“It was a vicious attack, calculated to inflict maximum damage specifically on civilian infrastructure. Unfortunately, as of now, six people have been reported killed and nineteen wounded in the city,” he said.
Emergency response efforts have been ongoing since last night to deal with the aftermath of the Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia. The city was struck with North Korean ballistic missiles, Zircons, and guided aerial bombs. It was a vicious attack, calculated to inflict maximum… pic.twitter.com/6Bj3KpdYVQ
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 11, 2026
He went on to say that another strike in Kyiv “damaged an infectious diseases hospital building and businesses,” while Kherson and Kharkiv also sustained damages that caused power outages.
“Every step Russia takes – increasing ballistic missile production, bringing in North Korean equipment, preparing for mobilization – all of this shows that Moscow is preparing not for peace, but for escalation. And the world needs to respond now, not wait,” Zelensky added.
The president has been making louder calls for assistance over the past days, warning of Moscow’s escalation and his country’s lack of defensive equipment.
He also said that between 30,000 and 50,000 North Korean troops are being deployed in Russia as part of the war.
Ballistic missile defense has been an ongoing vulnerability for Ukraine and there are indications that Russia intends to step up its ballistic missile attacks. Reuters detailed that North Korea deployed a ballistic missile unit in Russia that could be equipped with 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers.
The U.S. has not provided new material support as of late, but the Senate recently approved a sanctions bill pushed by late Sen. Lindsey Graham before his death in July.
The package, which targets the country’s leaders and oil industry, had the support of 86 senators and was only rejected by 11. The bill now makes it to the House, in recess until September.
The bill imposes tariffs of up to 100% on the countries that are in the top five buyers of Russian crude oil or gas. The list includes China and India. It also targets Russian President Vladimir Putin, oligarchs and financial institutions.
“These sledgehammer sanctions and tariffs will stop all who are complicit in this murderous, criminal war of aggression against a brave free people,” said Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, adding that he believes Graham would have been “proud of what we’ve done.”
The war continues in the meantime, with a recent report claiming that Putin is considering a limited assault on a NATO country to test the alliance.
The assessment from U.S. intelligence officials claimed such a scenario could take place in the next few years, with another possibility being a cyberattack.
The Wall Street Journal detailed last week that previous assessments believed that Putin wouldn’t make such a decision while still fighting in Ukraine, but the thinking changed earlier this year as the war continues and Kyiv manages to strike deep into Russian territory and inflict damage on its oil industry while keeping the front lines largely unchanged.
The goal of attacking a NATO country, the report added, would be fracturing the transatlantic alliance. Such an attack could take place between this fall and 2029. The likelihood of it happening is low but grows as time goes by and Putin does not manage to make strategic gains in the war.
