Ukraine requires at least seven Patriot systems to protect urban areas fully – Zelensky
Photo: Office of the President
Russia is dropping up to a hundred guided aerial bombs on Ukrainian cities and villages every day, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in Berlin during a speech at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2024.
The Office of the President reports this.
The head of state noted that now Russia's most significant strategic advantage over Ukraine is the advantage in the sky. The answer to this terror is air defense. The President thanked Germany for its global leadership in helping Ukraine protect the sky.
"We need at least seven more Patriot systems to cover our main urban agglomerations shortly, which will be the driver of maintaining normal life in Ukraine, which our people so deserve. That is, direct aid to the defense and a guarantee that the country's economic life will not be destroyed," Volodymyr Zelensky said.
The head of state said that Ukraine, together with Germany, the Netherlands, the United States of America, and other partners, is working to provide Ukraine with more air defense and is already evaluating how and when it can deliver new systems.
At the same time, during the speech, Olaf Scholz announced the transfer of the third Patriot system and IRIS-T installations to Ukraine. The president and the federal chancellor agreed on this assistance in April.
"The most urgent need of the Ukrainian army now is ammunition, weapons, especially air defense. Therefore, in the coming weeks and months, we will deliver the third Patriot system, IRIS-T, Gepard, missiles and ammunition to Ukraine," he said.
The chancellor called on those present to support Germany's initiative to increase the ability to protect Ukrainian skies.
For reference:
The Ukraine Recovery Conference started in Berlin, Germany, on June 11. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Olaf Scholz, participated.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, arrived in Germany to attend the Ukraine Recovery Conference.
The head of the Ukrainian state also noted that he would hold negotiations with Olaf Scholz regarding further defense support, development of the Ukrainian air defense system, and joint production of weapons.
Volodymyr Zelensky also plans to meet with:
- German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier,
- President of the Bundestag Berbel Bas.
In addition, he will visit a military base where Ukrainian soldiers are trained.
The Ukrainian leader spoke at the opening ceremony of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2024, where he:
- highlighted Russia's most significant strategic advantage of sky dominance;
- stated that with the assistance of partners, Ukraine aims to construct 1 gigawatt of gas-fired power generation by 2024 and further plans to increase this to 4 gigawatts in the future.
- drew the attention of international partners to energy problems.
