Ukraine war: Zelensky calls for more Western air defence systems to ‘save lives’
- ‘We need to strengthen the Ukrainian air shield to add more protection for our people from Russian terror,’ the president said
- Ukraine is on the back foot as a crucial US$60-billion aid package is still held up in the United States Congress
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday urged the West to deliver more air defence systems after five people were killed in the latest Russian strikes.
Overnight aerial attacks claimed three lives in the southern port city of Odesa, while shelling killed one person in the Kharkiv region near the Russian border and another in the frontline Kherson region, Ukrainian officials said.
“Russia continues to hit civilians,” Zelensky said in a post on social media.
“We need more air defences from our partners. We need to strengthen the Ukrainian air shield to add more protection for our people from Russian terror. More air defence systems and more missiles for air defence systems saves lives,” he said.
Ukraine is currently on the back foot in the two-year war as a crucial US$60-billion aid package is held up in the United States Congress.
In Odesa, “a nine-storey building was destroyed as a result of an attack by Russian terrorists”, Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said on Saturday in a post on Telegram.