Air defense is the “number one priority,” according to the leader of Ukraine after thousands of people spent Monday in bomb shelters due to explosions.
After yet another day of fatal rocket attacks against Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy threatened to make the battlefield “more painful” for Russian troops.
Air defense is the “number one priority,” according to the Ukrainian president after thousands of people spent Monday in bomb shelters as explosions rocked cities across the country.
At least 14 people were murdered and 97 others were injured in attacks in Kiev, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Lviv, Sumy, Zaporizhzhya, and Zhytomyr, among other locations.
Vladimir Putin stated that the strikes were revenge for Ukraine’s “terrorist attack” on Russian territory – the attack on the Kerch Strait Bridge in Crimea – however, Ukraine refutes this charge of “provocation.”
In his nightly address, President Zelenskyy declared, “We will do everything to enhance our military.” We will make the enemy’s experience on the battlefield more difficult.
“Now that the occupiers are unable to oppose us on the battlefield, they have resorted to terror,” he added via Telegram.
In his evening message, which he delivered from the streets of Kiev, Mr. Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine “cannot be scared” in the wake of the attacks.
He continued: “Only more united. Ukraine is unstoppable. Even more convinced that terrorists must be neutralized
“The Russian troops landed these blows deliberately during morning rush hour.” This is a standard terrorist technique. They desired to generate greater dread and affect more individuals. Indeed, they did. The entire globe took note.”
Joe Biden reaffirmed in a call with the Ukrainian president that the United States will deploy advanced air defense systems.
It follows the Pentagon’s announcement on September 27 that it would begin delivering the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) within around two months.
Former Ukrainian prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk told that “vital infrastructure” was one of Russia’s primary objectives in Monday’s attacks, and that Ukraine expects blackouts as a result, placing hospitals in “danger.”
President Putin stated that the attacks were a reprisal for the attack on the Kerch Strait Bridge, which connects Russia to seized Crimea.
Russian Putin has blamed Ukrainian special troops for the damage, but Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the explosion.
Whoever was responsible, the attack is expected to significantly strain Russian logistics and supply lines, with rumors that Kremlin forces may soon run out of fuel and unable to move troops.
The attack on the bridge followed months of Ukrainian forces deploying HIMARS rockets to weaken Russian logistics by targeting weapons depots and transportation networks.
Sir Jeremy Fleming, the chief of GCHQ, is scheduled to deliver a speech in which he will state that Russia is running out of weaponry for its war against Ukraine and that the costs to the Kremlin in terms of lost soldiers and equipment are “staggering.”
He will assert that the Ukrainian military is “changing the tide” on both the physical battlefield and in cyberspace.
