 "Ukraine's air defence missile inventory in dire condition, may run out soon: President Zelenskyy")
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued the gravest warning about his country’s deteriorating air defence inventory since the start of the war with Russia. He said that Ukraine could run out of air defence missiles if Russia continues its intense long-range bombing campaign.
Russia has been hitting Ukrainian energy systems, towns, and cities for weeks now. Moscow has been employing a broad arsenal of weapons, ranging from missiles to drones.
Ukraine’s dwindling air defence supplies
“If they keep hitting (Ukraine) every day the way they have for the last month, we might run out of missiles, and the partners know it,” Zelenskyy said in an interview.
He said that Ukraine had enough in their stockpiles to cope for the moment. However, Zelenskyy also said that his forces are already being pushed to make difficult choices about what to protect.
“We don’t have shells for counteroffensive actions. As for the defence - there are several initiatives, and we’re receiving weapons,” he added.
Hope for US aid package
In the interview, Zelenskyy spoke about the need for at least 25 of the Patriot air defence systems made by the United States.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsPatriot air defence systems have been vital in repelling Russian attacks, which use ballistic and hypersonic missiles that can hit targets within minutes.
The approval for an aid package for Ukraine has been stuck in deliberations in the Congress of the US since late last year. The Republicans are staunchly opposing it.
Zelenskyy, however, is hopeful. “I still believe that we can get a positive vote in the United States Congress,” he said. When the interviewer asked about the possibility of Ukraine receiving the package as a loan, he said, “We will agree to any options.”
Developments on the battlefield
In the battlefield, the tide has turned against Ukraine in recent months. The country is grappling with a slowdown in military assistance from the West and continuous attacks by Russia.
Most recently, a fresh spate of attacks by Moscow killed multiple civilians in Ukraine. Russia launched two missile attacks and drone strikes on Saturday, killing and wounding several people in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city.
Following artillery shelling, Ukraine’s largest private power company DTEK said that the strikes had hit 80 per cent of its generating capacity.
With inputs from agencies
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