Zelenskyy attributes border breakthrough in Kharkiv Oblast to lack of air defence

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sent a clear message that if Ukraine had had enough Western-supplied air defence systems, Russian forces would not have been able to storm Kharkiv Oblast.

Source: Zelenskyy at a meeting with journalists, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda

Quote: "The Russians crossing the border is related to the fact that [Ukraine] lacks air defence systems. They are using aerial bombs and artillery from a distance where they have an advantage..."

Details: Zelenskyy explained that it was "not easy" for Ukrainian soldiers because of an 8-month pause in partners' decision-making on the provision of new weapons to Ukraine.

Background: Back in April, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) noted that due to the depletion of Ukraine’s air defences at the front, Russian aircraft were able to support the Russians' consistent and rapid advance on the ground.

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