Zelenskyy discusses Ukraine’s air defenses with Scholz
Zelenskyy thanked Germany for the supply of IRIS-T air defense system (Photo:REUTERS/Gleb Garanich)
In a phone call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed the efforts to establish a robust air defense network over Ukraine, as the country reels from persistent Russian air strikes on its infrastructure, Zelenskyy said in a Twitter post on Oct. 31.
The president thanked Germany for delivering the first IRIS-T anti-air system earlier in October. Three additional such systems are currently being manufactured in Germany, and are expected to be delivered to Ukraine in the coming months.
“We have to build an air shield over Ukraine,” said Zelenskyy.
He also discussed the critical grain export deal with the chancellor, stressing its importance in staving off the looming threat to global food security, describing Moscow’s efforts to sabotage the agreement as “hunger blackmail.”
On Oct. 31, Russia launched another barrage of missile strikes across Ukraine. Ukrainian PM Denys Shmyhal said that Russian missiles and drones damaged 18 infrastructure facilities – mostly power grid nodes – in ten provinces of Ukraine. The attack involved 55 cruise missiles, 45 of which were intercepted by Ukrainian air defenses.
The Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuri Ihnat said the German-made IRIS-T system was “100% effective” in intercepting incoming Russian missiles on Oct. 31.
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