President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his daily address, said that the head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service had reported on the state of Russia’s fuel sector following Ukrainian strikes. According to him, Ukrainian drones and missiles have significantly limited the capacity of Russia’s oil industry. “It is clear that Ukrainian industry is gaining momentum,” the president noted.
At the same time, Zelenskyy stressed that Russia is restructuring its system to be ready for war against any country at any moment. This can only be stopped with strong sanctions and Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities.
On the night of September 16, Russia launched another massive attack on Ukrainian cities. In Zaporizhzhia, one person was killed and 20 others, including four children, sought medical assistance. In Kharkiv, the strike targeted the city center — specifically the buildings of the National Pharmaceutical University. There were also casualties in Kherson. Drone attacks were recorded in Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, and Sumy regions.
The president emphasized that every day Russia rejects opportunities to end the war. He recalled that Ukraine responded positively to U.S. and President Donald Trump’s proposals to stop the strikes and killings. “It is Putin who is interested in killings. Every day this war remains solely his war — Russia’s war,” Zelenskyy said. He also highlighted the threat posed by Russian drones that entered Poland and urged Europe to draw conclusions.
Zelenskyy separately mentioned Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko’s report on the economy. He said Ukraine is seeing job growth, and next year the state plans to raise teachers’ salaries and student scholarships. Overall, education funding will increase by 66 billion hryvnias, and more money will go to healthcare. A new government program of free health checkups for Ukrainians will also be launched.
“I thank everyone who fights for our state, everyone who works for Ukraine and Ukrainians. Glory to Ukraine!” the president concluded.