Zelensky Calls on the West to Supply More Air Defense Systems to His Country

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed his call on Sunday for Western allies to supply his country with more U.S. Patriot air defense systems after a week that saw more than a thousand Russian airstrikes on Ukraine. Zelensky said via his Telegram channel that “more Patriot systems for Ukraine means greater protection of lives.” He explained that Russian attacks have resulted in many deaths and injuries, noting that Russia launched strikes on Ukraine using more than 660 glide bombs, nearly 550 drones, and around 60 missiles during the past week. Zelensky added that Ukrainian air defenses had shot down 33 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and more than 300 drones.

On Sunday, the Ukrainian Air Force stated that its defenses had downed 43 drones out of 61 launched by Russia the previous night, and that they had targeted nine areas across the country. It also mentioned that 15 drones had “lost contact,” indicating the use of electronic jamming by Ukraine to redirect Russian drones. Ukrainian authorities have not yet reported any casualties, injuries, or damage.

Zelensky shared a video showing the destruction caused by Moscow’s weekend attacks in Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and the Donbas region in the east. He praised the Ukrainian armed forces but added that the “mission to continue protecting our airspace remains” and called on Ukraine’s Western allies to provide more air defense systems. Ukraine has been defending itself against the full-scale Russian invasion since February 2022.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Ministry of Defense announced that Russian forces had taken control of two more villages in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, in the latest of several gains in their ongoing westward advance. The ministry said that Russian forces now control the village of Petropavlivka, located between Donetsk and Kurakhiv, which have been central to the fighting in recent months. The ministry also mentioned the capture of the village of Freimyvka, part of a small group of villages in the southern Donetsk region. The ministry further stated that its forces had targeted Ukrainian military facilities with high-precision weapons in response to a Ukrainian attack on Belgorod, southern Russia, using U.S.-made ATACMS missiles.