Russian launchd drone barrage on Kyiv killing 6 and injuring 17
"You cannot negotiate with Russia and talk about a diplomatic stalemate at the same time" - Zelensky's respond to Rubio
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s assessment that the war with Russia has reached a “strategic stalemate,” arguing that Moscow can still be forced to negotiate if pressure on the Kremlin increases. Speaking to journalists in Pryluky on October 8, a day after a Russian missile strike on an apartment building killed 22 people, including five children, Zelensky urged Washington to strengthen sanctions and help Ukraine gain air superiority.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine was not trapped in a hopeless situation and accused Russia of benefiting from continued economic ties with the West. He called on the U.S. to intensify economic pressure, restrict sales that support Russia’s military and provide Ukraine with access to Starlink over Russian territory. He also criticized efforts to discuss future economic projects with Moscow while describing diplomacy as deadlocked.
The Ukrainian leader pointed to U.S. and Israeli air operations against Iran as evidence that Western military capabilities could change the balance of the war. He argued that helping Ukraine control its skies would force Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate from a weaker position, potentially within months. Zelensky also warned that Russia could receive comparable technology from China.
Rubio said earlier that diplomatic efforts to end the war were proving elusive because Russia insists on gaining full control of the Donbas, while Ukraine refuses to surrender the territory. Zelenskyy disputed the idea that negotiations had reached an impasse, arguing that the real obstacle was a lack of willingness to apply sufficient pressure on Russia.
At least 33 dead after Russian glide bomb hit vans in Kramatorsk
A Russian glide bomb strike on two vans, serving as public transportation vehicles in Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, killed 33 people and injured 18 on the morning of October 8, Ukrainian emergency services and regional officials said. The attack sparked fires in at least two buses, while some of the injured remained in critical condition. President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the death toll could rise, adding that two victims had yet to be identified because of the severity of their injuries.
Donetsk regional governor Vadym Filashkin accused Russian forces of deliberately targeting civilians, saying buses carrying passengers had become targets of attacks. Zelensky said the strike would not go unanswered and called on the international community to respond. The military administrations of Kramatorsk and nearby Sloviansk ordered all public transportation to stop.
The strike came amid continued Russian attacks across Donetsk Oblast. Before the Kramatorsk attack, four more people had been killed and six injured elsewhere in the region, acording to the governor. Russian forces shelled settlements 31 times over the previous day, while 256 people, including 32 children, were evacuated from frontline areas.