Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed his appeal to the country’s allies on Sunday for additional US-made Patriot air defense systems, following a week that saw over 1,000 Russian air attacks.
“We need the strong support of our partners,” Zelensky announced on his Telegram channel. He emphasized that “more Patriots for Ukraine mean greater protection for life.”
The Russian attacks have resulted in multiple deaths and injuries. Zelensky reported that Russia launched more than 660 glide bombs, approximately 550 drones, and nearly 60 missiles in the past week. Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted 33 missiles, including ballistic variants, and shot down over 300 drones.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky released a video that highlighted the devastation caused by recent attacks in Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and the Donbas region over the weekend. He paid tribute to the armed forces but emphasized that “the task of continuing to protect our airspace remains.” Zelensky urged Ukraine’s Western allies to provide additional air defence systems.
Since February 2022, Ukraine has been defending itself against a full-scale invasion by Russia. Over the weekend, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that its forces had gained further ground in eastern Ukraine.
On Sunday, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military, Oleksandr Syrsky, stated that the military is facing a shortage of soldiers. He emphasized the need to increase the number of mechanized brigades but noted that the current mobilization capacity is insufficient to meet this demand.
To strengthen front-line forces, Syrsky mentioned that troops are being reassigned from logistics, supply, and maintenance roles “within reasonable limits” to address personnel gaps and establish new units.
Syrsky’s statement was made in response to complaints from air force units regarding the redeployment of highly qualified personnel to the front lines. He noted that army leadership has halted these redeployment efforts, emphasizing that these soldiers are experienced specialists who cannot be easily replaced.
Ukraine is currently facing a shortage of soldiers for frontline duties, partly due to age restrictions for reservists. While all men are required to complete basic military service starting at age 18, they are only obligated to engage in combat starting at age 25. Some of Ukraine’s allies have urged Kyiv to consider lowering this age limit.
Team BharatShakti
(With inputs from Reuters)
