President Volodymyr Zelensky said the aerial weapons the Kremlin uses to inflict terror and death on civilians every day in Ukraine are only possible because international sanctions evaders provide thousands of components to Moscow.

“In total, last night alone, the Russians launched 165 missiles and drones – of various types. In addition to the Poltava region, the Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk regions were also hit,” Zelensky said in his nightly address on Saturday.

“Currently, efforts are still underway in Poltava after last night’s strike,” said Zelensky. “As of now, 17 people are known to have been affected. All of them have received assistance. Twenty-two people have been rescued. More people are still being searched for under the rubble. At the moment, the list of fatalities, tragically, includes 8 names. My condolences to their families and loved ones.”

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Zelensky said the only way Russia is continue these daily attacks through parts made available by sanctions evasions: “We must always be absolutely honest about this Russian terror: they wouldn’t be able to cause such damage so intensely and literally every night on their own.

“Every Russian ‘Shahed’ drone, every Russian missile – these are components made in other countries. One hundred and sixty-five strike units in one Russian night strike – all these Iskanders, Kalibr missiles and other means of killing – mean hundreds or even thousands of components from other countries. European countries, China, and even America.”

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He said that without these critical components, Russia would not be able to to destroy the lives of citizens of other nations.

Zelensky attempted to make the case to hold violators as being complicit in these attacks on civilians: “…It is critical that sanctions be truly strong and impossible to circumvent under any circumstances. There must be no ways left to supply Russia with critical components for its defense industry.

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“Any violation of sanctions must be considered complicity in the war, and those who help destroy lives must be held accountable.”

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