Ukraine needs protection against Russian missiles. We are negotiating with partners on this – Zelenskyy
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy slammed delays by Western partners in supplying air defense systems and missiles, revealing details of an unfulfilled agreement with Norway against the backdrop of another massive shelling of Kyiv.
Zelenskyy said this in a comment to journalists at the site of an enemy strike in the Darnytskyi district, Censor.NET reports.
Ukraine needs missiles for air defense
Zelenskyy described difficult closed-door negotiations with donor countries, noting that partners’ financial readiness does not always translate into real weapons on the battlefield.
"There are countries with which we have reached agreements, to which we have already given money. Where PURL was involved, and separately outside PURL. For example, with Norway — I will not say where to — regarding readiness to pay for 200 missiles. All these 200 missiles, not a single one of them has arrived... If partners had provided on time what they promised, we could have saved homes and people today. This is a big problem," he said.
Consequences of another large-scale Russian terror attack
According to the president, today’s attack by the occupiers, in terms of the number of missiles and kamikaze drones launched, was one of the most massive since February 2022.
As of now, destruction or significant damage has been recorded at 131 civilian infrastructure and residential facilities in Kyiv. Medics and emergency services are working in emergency mode: more than 100 civilians have already sought urgent medical assistance, and the State Emergency Service has managed to pull 17 people from under the rubble and save them.
Zelenskyy added that the scale of the rubble is enormous, so emergency and rescue operations and the dismantling of structures at the sites of strikes will continue at least until the end of the next day.
Massive shelling of Kyiv on July 2
On the night of July 2, 2026, Russia carried out a massive combined attack on Kyiv, using attack drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles. Explosions were heard for several hours, while air defense forces engaged aerial targets over the capital.
According to the latest confirmed data:
- at least 18 people were killed;
- almost 90 were injured, including children;
- more than 20 residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure facilities were damaged;
- rescue operations continued at many locations. People are being searched for under the rubble, including a 15-year-old girl and her family.
Several districts of the capital suffered the most severe destruction, including:
- Darnytskyi;
- Desnianskyi;
- Sviatoshynskyi;
- Solomianskyi;
- Holosiivskyi;
- Pecherskyi;
- Podilskyi;
- Obolonskyi.
The strikes caused numerous fires, partially destroyed multi-storey residential buildings, and damaged transport infrastructure and utility networks. Due to the consequences of the attack, public transport routes in Kyiv were temporarily changed.
