Europe live: Russia ‘does not deserve’ lifting of sanctions, Zelenskyy says, after deadly overnight strikes in Ukraine
Morning opening: Russia ‘does not deserve’ lifting of sanctions after 16 dead in overnight strikes in Ukraine
Jakub Krupa
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia “does not deserve any easing … or lifting on sanctions” after an overnight attack killed 16 and wounded 100 people in Ukraine.
He said:
“Russia is betting on war, and the response must be exactly that: we must defend lives with all available means, and we must also apply pressure for the sake of peace with the same full force.”
Zelenskyy said nearly 700 Russian drones and 19 ballistic missiles were fired at Ukraine, targeting mostly the capital city of Kyiv, Odesa, and Dnipro.
There can be no normalisation of Russia as it is today. Pressure on Russia must work.
Separately, Nato secretary general Mark Rutte is due to meet with the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, and Germany’s Friedrich Merz will host Ireland’s Micheál Martin.
It’s Thursday, 16 April 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
Key events
The Kremlin’s latest deadly attack comes after the end of a 32-hour Orthodox Easter truce marred by accusations of mass violations, according to both countries, AFP noted.
Peace talks spearheaded by the United States to end the war now grinding through its fifth year have been derailed by US and Israeli war with Iran, it noted.
German defence minister Boris Pistorius warned yesterday that while “the so-called Russian Ukrainian peace talks have currently been suspended, the truth is, anyway, Russia has never taken them seriously,” as he said “this is why it is all the more important to support Ukraine” (Europe Live, Wednesday).
EU’s Costa criticises Russia for ‘terrorising civilians’ with strikes on Ukraine
President of the European Council António Costa has condemned the “horrendous” overnight attacks on Ukraine by Russia, alleging Russian forces “deliberately carried out follow-up strikes” to target first responders.
He said:
“As people slept in their homes, the cities of Kyiv, Dnipro, Odesa, and Kharkiv were struck by dozens of ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones. Russian armed forces deliberately carried out follow-up strikes on Ukrainian emergency services as first responders arrived to save lives.”
He added:
“Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has failed, and so it chooses to deliberately terrorise civilians. Russia must stop this war of terror.”
Morning opening: Russia ‘does not deserve’ lifting of sanctions after 16 dead in overnight strikes in Ukraine
Jakub Krupa
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia “does not deserve any easing … or lifting on sanctions” after an overnight attack killed 16 and wounded 100 people in Ukraine.
He said:
“Russia is betting on war, and the response must be exactly that: we must defend lives with all available means, and we must also apply pressure for the sake of peace with the same full force.”
Zelenskyy said nearly 700 Russian drones and 19 ballistic missiles were fired at Ukraine, targeting mostly the capital city of Kyiv, Odesa, and Dnipro.
There can be no normalisation of Russia as it is today. Pressure on Russia must work.
Separately, Nato secretary general Mark Rutte is due to meet with the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, and Germany’s Friedrich Merz will host Ireland’s Micheál Martin.
It’s Thursday, 16 April 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.