Russian invaders have used over three thousand guided aerial bombs (KABs) in attacks on Ukraine over the past month. This is the most pressing issue, states President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a press conference.
"The main problem today is that Russia uses over 3,000 guided aerial bombs (KABs) against civilians each month. We expect that next month it could be 3,500, and this month it is 3,200. Thousands of aerial bombs are just falling on people's heads. How do we combat this? There aren't enough air defense missiles to stop thousands of aerial bombs each month," he said.
Zelenskyy noted that such a quantity of missiles simply does not exist.
"We are asking the world to at least help with an additional 7 Patriot systems. We need at least two systems just for Kharkiv. Because Russia uses these bombs from aircraft, and if you have modern Patriot systems, these planes won't be able to get so close," he stated.
The President emphasized that Ukraine needs systems to prevent Russia from having the opportunity to attack Kharkiv with aerial bombs.
"I'm not talking about dozens of systems to cover the entire sky over Ukraine, I'm talking about at least preventing Russia from using aerial bombs. Even those partners who are hesitant to provide certain weapons need to understand that air defense is defensive, not offensive. It is protection, not attack," he underscored.
Air defense systems for Ukraine
This spring, Russian troops have significantly intensified their shelling of Ukrainian targets. The strikes generally target private infrastructure and infrastructural facilities. The lack of software systems is particularly felt in Kharkiv, which has repeatedly suffered large-scale shelling.
Over the weekend, a missile attack targeted the "Epicenter" hypermarket in Kharkiv. More details about the shelling and its consequences can be found in the RBC-Ukraine material.
