Modern air defence systems are what we lack most – Zelenskyy

Wednesday, 10 January 2024, 14:56

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that there are problems with production at present and that Ukraine lacks modern air defenсe systems. 

Source Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a press conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda in Vilnius

Quote: "What we and our partners cannot produce in the near future is modern air defence systems. These are sorely needed.

In the last days of December and the first days of January, Russia attacked civilian infrastructure and people... In total, there were 500 (missile and drone) attacks. We were able to repel an average of 70% of these attacks. Sadly, we lost people...

We can fight this enemy with technology until we have forced them out of our land and until the war is over, so air defence systems are our No. 1 necessity."

Details: Zelenskyy said a lot of attention is now being paid to combating drones and drone production.

He did not specify the number of UAVs made in Ukraine, but insisted that Ukraine is increasing production.  

Background: 

  • On the night and morning of 29 December, Russia launched its most massive air attack on Ukraine. Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odesa, Lviv, Zaporizhzhia and other cities were attacked. Russia launched 158 aerial targets – drones and missiles of various types – across Ukraine. Air defences managed to destroy 114 of them. According to the Air Force, the Russian Federation used almost every type of weapon at its disposal.
  • On 2 January, Russia launched 99 missiles of various types towards Ukraine, 72 of which were destroyed. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, noted that the Russians had attacked civilian and critical infrastructure, industrial and military facilities. They mainly targeted the Ukrainian capital.
  • On the night of 8 January, the Russian occupiers launched 59 airstrikes across Ukraine, using missiles of various types and Shahed UAVs. 18 missiles and all 8 Shaheds were shot down.

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