Zelenskyy asks for more weapons, tanks, air defense
Zelenskyy addressed the members of the Joint Expeditionary Force group (Photo:Office of the President of Ukraine)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Dec. 19 called on Western partners to continue supporting Kyiv in the fight against Russia and transfer more air defense systems and other types of weapons.
He made these remarks while addressing leaders of the UK Joint Expeditionary Force.
"I will be very specific today, absolutely practical. Perhaps you expect a more political speech, but it is a different time now. It is time for specific things," he said. "Winter is now a really crucial time. It is a time when decisions can be made, the results of which in the spring will allow us to outline the restoration of our territorial integrity and guarantee that Russian revanchism will never again cross the border of Ukraine, and therefore – the border of Europe. And I want to address everyone."
Zelenskyy in particular asked the United Kingdom to increase the supply of air defenses to Ukraine.
"When we can fully protect the Ukrainian sky, it will mean the dismantling of the last great Russian opportunity to terrorize Ukraine. And therefore, it will also be the dismantling of the last great Russian hope that they will allegedly succeed in conquering our state and people. And I am asking you to increase the possibility of supplying air defense systems to our state and help speed up the relevant decisions of partners," the president said.
He called on the Netherlands to provide tanks, on Sweden and Latvia to supply artillery systems, and on Estonia and Finland to send artillery shells.
Zelenskyy also commented on the latest attacks by Russian forces on Ukrainian cities.
"I am asking you to support our country right now with a clear decision – to provide everything that can not only preserve the existing dynamics on the battlefield in Ukraine, but also accelerate the movement of our Defense Forces to victory. Because our victory will be the victory of each of you, it is the victory of Europe, your nations, the victory, which the whole world expects, I am sure of that. That's that – Ukrainian children in their letters to St. Nicholas ask for air defense, weapons and victory – victory for themselves, victory for all Ukrainians," he concluded.
In the early hours of Dec. 19, Russia launched a massive attack on Kyiv and its oblast with Iranian-made drones.
The Ukrainian capital withstood several waves of attacks by Shahed-136 kamikaze drones. The occupiers sent 23 drones to Kyiv, 18 of which were shot down.
One of the drones hit a critical infrastructure facility, starting a fire. Debris from downed drones damaged a roadway in the city's Solomyanskyi District, as well as windows of a high-rise building in the Shevchenkivskyi District.
On the morning of Dec. 16, Russianforces also launched a massive attack on Ukraine. In a number of oblasts in the east, south, and center of the country, energy infrastructure facilities were hit. On this day, Russia fired 76 missiles at Ukrainian cities, 60 of which were shot down.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
