Zelensky praises air defense after violent Russian attacks

After several days and nights of intense Russian air strikes, Ukrainian air defense is holding up well. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky in his daily address on Saturday. According to civilian authorities, dozens of victims were killed last week, including in the capital, Kiev.

In one week, 104 out of 112 Shahed drones were intercepted, Zelensky said in his daily video address. “Destroying each of them means saving lives and infrastructure,” he said. Russia is supplied with Shahed attack drones from Iran.

Zelensky said Russian ballistic missiles were shot down last week. “The Patriot missiles, NASAMS, Cheetahs and other systems provided by our partners are working perfectly,” Zelensky said, referring to foreign air defense systems.

At the same time, it is important to continue improving air defense over Ukraine, Zelensky added. Ukraine receives less and less military and financial support from the European Union and the United States.

After the failure of the Ukrainian ground offensive in the summer, the army is now digging in and trying to hold the ground. Ukraine has been repelling a large-scale Russian invasion since February 24, 2022.