‘We must defeat Russian terrorists’: Zelensky again calls for strengthening air defense systems
On April 18, 2024, during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, gunners of the 14th Independent Mechanized Brigade of Ukraine opened fire on the enemy with BM 21 “Grad” multiple rocket rockets from a position near the town of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region.
Anatoly Stepanov | AFP | Getty Images
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday once again urged Western allies to bolster Ukraine’s troubled air defenses, saying the ability to intercept missiles had been proven in the Middle East and “it should also play a role in Europe.”
A major Russian missile attack has reportedly killed at least eight people in the Dnipropetrovsk region of central Ukraine.
“Every country that provides air defense systems to Ukraine, every leader who helps convince our partners that air defense systems should not sit in warehouses but be deployed in real cities and communities facing terror, and everyone who supports our national defense They are all saviors,” Zelensky explain Through social media platform X.
“We must defeat Russian terror. This is necessary not only for our country and Ukrainians, but for the entire world,” he added.
— Sam Meredith
Ukraine says major Russian attack on Dnipropetrovsk region kills 8
Rescue operations were underway on Friday after a major attack in the Dnepropetrovsk region of central Ukraine reportedly killed at least eight people.
Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Kremenko explain According to Telegram reports, a five-story house and civil infrastructure in the city of Dnipro were damaged due to the strike. Klimenko said two people were killed and 16 injured.
According to Google Translate, Klimenko said the attack destroyed more than a dozen private buildings in the city of Sinelnikove, killing six people and injuring two others before the fire was extinguished.
CNBC could not independently verify developments on the ground.
— Sam Meredith
German official says Russia could be ready to attack NATO within 5-8 years
According to Reuters, a senior German military official said Russia could be ready to attack NATO within five to eight years.
Lieutenant General Carsten Blore told reporters that Moscow could be ready to attack members of the Western military alliance once it rebuilds its forces depleted by the war in Ukraine.
“According to our analysis, by that time Russia will have reorganized its forces to the extent that it could launch an attack on NATO territory,” he told reporters during a visit to Poland on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
“I’m not saying it will happen, but I’m saying it’s possible,” he said. “What we’re seeing is a threat in five to eight years.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed concerns that NATO could be directly targeted by Russia but has frequently warned that the country and its nuclear arsenal are ready to deploy if Russia believes its sovereignty has been violated.
A DPR Army fighter jet stands in front of a tank as Russia continues its attack on Mariupol, Ukraine, on May 4, 2022.
Leon Klein | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Russia’s defense spending and production of military hardware has surged as it looks to supply Ukraine’s military in the coming years, but Breuer said Russia also appeared to be retaining military equipment.
“We see that Russia is producing a lot of combat materiel, but it’s not putting all of that materiel on the front lines in Ukraine… So in 2029 we have to be ready,” Blore said.
— Holly Elliot
Ukraine calls for emergency air defense, steps up diplomatic efforts
In a series of high-profile meetings and summits, senior Ukrainian officials have stepped up calls for urgent air defense and weaponry.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting on the island of Capri.kuleba Represented on social media platform He detailed their “joint global efforts to deliver more Patriot air defense systems and missiles to Ukraine as quickly as possible.”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (right) attend a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers meeting on the island of Capri on April 18, 2024.
Gregorio Borgia | AFP | Getty Images
Kuleba said both officials “stressed the urgent need for the U.S. Congress to pass a supplementary aid package for Ukraine worth approximately $61 billion.”
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal said he also met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Thursday. StatementX “We count on Congress to quickly lift the block on Ukraine’s aid package, including financial assistance.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Wednesday that Russian forces would have the upper hand in a war because Ukraine does not have the weaponry and air defense systems it needs.
“The Russian army feels its superiority in almost all aspects related to the armed forces. It is precisely because of this superiority – artillery, equipment, air combat capabilities – that they are putting pressure on us on the front lines and are taking steps step by step,” He told EU leaders via video link.
“Putin now hopes that his counteroffensive will succeed, and the only source of this hope is the shortage of weapons for our soldiers,” he said.
Zelensky said Kyiv was working with the United States “to get Congress to make the right decision on the U.S. support package” and asked European leaders to “communicate with our U.S. partners to make their support truly material.”
— Holly Elliot
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