Zelenskyy reports only 1 downed ballistic missile and appeals to partners
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that on the night of August 1, due to a shortage of missiles for Patriot systems, the Ukrainian Air Force managed to shoot down only one out of 27 Russian ballistic missiles, and urged partners to provide the means to counter ballistic missiles, according to Європейська правда.
The President announced this on social media, as reported by European Pravda.
According to the head of state, tonight the Russians launched 35 missiles at Ukraine, 27 of which were ballistic, and 185 attack drones of various types.
"The main target is Kyiv. But strikes were also carried out in the Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Poltava regions. Only one ballistic missile could be shot down tonight simply because there are no missiles for the Patriots," Zelenskyy wrote.
It is exactly this shortage of anti-missile defense means, the President added, that only encourages Russia to carry out such strikes that threaten people's lives.
"It is very important that our partners hear this: these means are not needed somewhere in warehouses for possible scenarios, but here and now, so that the Russian war can be contained and stopped in Ukraine. Every package with an anti-missile system saves the lives of our people. And every night when it is not there leads to casualties," Zelenskyy wrote.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that Russia created a real hell in Kyiv tonight, and emphasized the need for urgent strengthening of Ukrainian air defense.
According to The Atlantic, during closed-door talks at the White House on July 28, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy requested permission for Ukraine to use the Starlink system on Russian territory to target ballistic missile launchers.
In early July, on the sidelines of the NATO summit, the US President told Zelenskyy that the States would grant Ukraine the right to manufacture missiles for Patriot systems.
Later, Trump explained that the US "must be very careful" on this issue.
