Ukraine has received the first batch of missiles for air defense systems from the latest promised aid package, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced during the opening of the "Coalition of the Willing" meeting.
According to the head of state, half of the package has already been delivered to Ukraine.
" Thank you Mark for the PURL program, thank you to other friends and allies. We need PAC-3, PAC-2 missiles from the United States. We need air defense. We are very grateful for the latest air defense package. I cannot share all the details. But half of the package is already here, it arrived two days ago. So thank you very much. We are counting on the continuation of this program ," Zelenskyy noted.
The President emphasized that Ukraine continues to need additional missiles and air defense systems to protect civilian infrastructure and cities from Russian attacks.
Separately, Zelenskyy appealed to Western partners to support the restoration of Ukraine's energy system.
“ Russia is hitting our civilians, our energy. We had a terrible winter. And I think that only the help of our friends and the resilience of our people gave us the opportunity to survive. That is why we are asking for help with the restoration of the energy system. I hope that we will end this war. But in any case, we need to think about the next winter. And we need quick steps, we have plans, we will share them with you. After all, it is very difficult to restore it on our own ,” he added.
The president previously stated that Ukraine had not received a license to produce Patriot systems or missiles for them. He emphasized the need to close Ukrainian skies to strengthen the country's defense capabilities.
At the same time, the Air Force reported on the development of alternative solutions. In particular, Deputy Commander of Unmanned Air Defense Systems Yuriy Cherevashenko noted that Ukraine is working on ideas for intercepting enemy cruise missiles using missile drones.
The issue of strengthening air defense remains one of the key issues in Ukraine's cooperation with Western allies.
