Zelenskyy said three waves of ballistic missiles were launched at Kyiv by Russian "humanitarians" since Wednesday evening, using 21 missiles. Numerous sites across the city were hit and damaged, including residential buildings, energy facilities, infrastructure at a railway station and the metro, shopping malls, businesses and a monastery. At least two people died and 34 were injured, including five children, in Kyiv. Twelve regions of Ukraine came under Russian attack overnight, he said.
"Almost immediately after another round of talks, Russia launched a pointed attack. This means there has been no real change in its attitude toward everything that is happening," Zelenskyy said. He called for real pressure on Russia to bring about steps toward ending the killing.
The comments appeared to be a dig at US peace envoy Steve Witkoff, who had previously lauded Putin as "a humanitarian."
Meanwhile, France is bracing for a planned weekend of protests. Macron, back from a tour of the Gulf, convened a meeting with relevant ministers and intelligence services to discuss how to prevent unrest. "The government must hold its nerve," Macron told reporters earlier this week. He is expected to speak after the meeting. Later on Thursday, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu will hold a separate meeting with party leaders to discuss concerns over policing and next year's presidential campaign.
In other developments, Italy and Spain have agreed to drop mutual border controls introduced after the Ceuta border crisis. The Italian interior ministry said the two interior ministers held a cordial telephone call and agreed that the suspensions of the Schengen area will not be extended further. The decision follows a careful analysis of the situation and will be accompanied by strengthened information exchange to ensure full security of the Schengen common area.
Thailand has advised its citizens to postpone non-essential travel to parts of Europe rocked by protests, while Malaysia also warned its nationals about visiting France. Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phungketkeow told reporters that those travelling from Thailand to Europe must closely monitor the rapidly changing situation, and cited concerns about protests in Italy and Spain. The Malaysian embassy in Paris had advised Malaysians in France to exercise caution. China earlier warned its citizens travelling to France to take safety precautions after town halls and shops were looted and set on fire at the weekend.