Ukraine air defenses should be stronger, as basis for Europe’s sky shield: Zelenskyy

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed on Monday that Ukraine’s defenses were not yet capable of protecting its whole territory against Russian attacks, arguing that his country’s air defenses should become the basis for Europe’s “sky shield.”

“Unfortunately, our state does not yet have enough high-quality air defense systems to protect our entire territory and shoot down all enemy targets. The enemy is taking advantage of this,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.

He referred to the Russian strike on the city of Sumy in which residential buildings were hit in addition to the building of the Security Service of Ukraine. He said Ukrainians were wounded and killed as a result.

He vowed: “We will do everything possible and impossible to make our air defense system the most powerful.”

“The goal is for the Ukrainian sky shield to be able to protect our entire territory from Russian terror, and in the future, to become the basis for the European sky shield. This is absolutely necessary and absolutely possible.”

Zelenskyy commended the Ukrainian Air Force and listed the Russian targets the Ukrainian air defenses have managed to shoot down so far: “More than 180 aircraft, more than 130 helicopters, nearly 40 ballistic and more than a thousand cruise missiles, more than 1,600 drones of various types.”

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