‘You won’t ever win’: Sunak throws down gauntlet after Putin’s newest cruel barrage | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Rishi Sunak has despatched a blunt message to Vladimir Putin after Russia launched an enormous aerial barrage in opposition to Ukraine, warning the Russian President: “We won’t let you win”.

Russia fired 122 missiles and 36 drones at Ukrainian targets in a single day, killing not less than 13 civilians in what army officers stated was the most important aerial barrage of the conflict to this point.

The Ukrainian air pressure intercepted 87 of the missiles and 27 of the Shahed-type drones in a single day, officers stated.

Posting on X, previously Twitter, the Prime Minister stated: “These widespread attacks on Ukraine’s cities show Putin will stop at nothing to achieve his aim of eradicating freedom and democracy. We will not let him win.

“We should proceed to face with Ukraine – for so long as it takes.”

Fighting along the front line has been largely bogged down by winter weather after Ukraine’s summer counteroffensive failed to make a significant breakthrough along the roughly 620-mile line of contact.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has spent recent weeks urging Western allies to provide the country with more air defences to protect itself against such aerial attacks.

It comes as signs of war fatigue strain efforts to keep support in place.

Mr Zelensky said the Kremlin’s forces used a wide variety of weapons, including ballistic and cruise missiles.

Also posting on X, Mr Zelensky said: “Today, Russia used practically each kind of weapon in its arsenal.”

Commenting, Alicia Kearns, chairman of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, posted: “We must give Ukraine what it needs to win, not just survive.

“We must agree an approach to seize Russian state assets to pay for the freedom and rebuilding of Ukraine.

“We must get kidnapped Ukrainian children home.

“We must double down on sanctions evasion and enablers of Putin.”

According to the Ukrainian air pressure, the earlier greatest assault was in November 2022 when Russia launched 96 missiles in opposition to Ukraine. This yr, the most important was 81 missiles on March 9, air pressure data present.

Western officers and analysts not too long ago warned that Russia had restricted its cruise missile strikes in current months in an obvious effort to construct up stockpiles for enormous strikes through the winter, hoping to interrupt the Ukrainians’ spirit.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated the size of the assault ought to wake individuals as much as Ukraine’s persevering with wants.

He stated: “Today, millions of Ukrainians awoke to the loud sound of explosions.

“I wish those sounds of explosions in Ukraine could be heard all around the world.

“In all major capitals, headquarters, and parliaments, which are currently debating further support for Ukraine.”

At least 128 individuals had been additionally injured and an unknown quantity had been buried below rubble through the roughly 18-hour onslaught, Ukrainian officers stated.

Among the buildings reported to be broken throughout Ukraine had been a maternity hospital, condo blocks and colleges.