Kyiv calls on partners to speed up delivery of air defense systems amid latest missile attack
A Russian missile shot down by air defense in Kyiv Oblast (Photo:ANDRII NEBYTOV / Telegram)
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba has urged Ukraine’s partners not to delay their decisions on sending air defense systems to Ukraine following the latest Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure on Oct. 22.
"Saturday in Ukraine starts with a barrage of Russian missiles aimed at critical civilian infrastructure," Kuleba tweeted following the attacks.
“We have intercepted part of (the Russian cruise missiles), others hit targets. Air defense saves lives. There should not be a minute of delay in capitals deciding on air defense systems for Ukraine.”
Kuleba added that deliberate strikes on critical civilian infrastructure of Ukraine were part of the genocide of Ukrainians.
Earlier, in an interview with German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal called on Germany to deliver new ammunition for the German IRIS-T SLM air defense systems within a few days to repel Russian air strikes.
Shmyhal said that Russia wants to arrange a humanitarian catastrophe in Ukraine. According to him, the attacks on critical infrastructure by Russians can provoke a new "migration tsunami" in Europe.
"Russia wants to arrange a cold winter for Ukraine, when many people could literally freeze to death," the prime minister said.
“If there is no electricity, heating or water in Ukraine, it could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe the like of which Europe has not seen since the Second World War.”
Shmyhal said that the IRIS-T system has already "saved a huge number of lives", but Ukraine is "looking forward" to new ammunition that the country needs "right now".
Advisor to the head of the President's Office Mykhailo Podolyak also noted that "the only way to stop a humanitarian catastrophe is to transfer air defense systems and additional missiles, fast.”
"By striking Ukraine's critical infrastructure, Kremlin wants to provoke new refugees to flee to Europe," he wrote on Twitter.
“Whether Putin will be able to implement his plan depends on European capitals’ leaders.”
Russia attacked infrastructure facilities in western and southern Ukraine on the morning of Oct. 22. Ukrainian air defense forces were able to shoot down 18 out of 33 Russian cruise missiles. However, there were hits at infrastructure facilities in Volyn, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad, Rivne, Khmelnytskyi and Odesa oblasts.
Many settlements have lost power supplies. Electricity transmission system operator Ukrenergo is also limiting electricity supplies in 10 oblasts. In total, more than 1.5 million households were left without electricity.
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