Zelenskyy on shortage of missiles for Patriot system: Only one ballistic missile was successfully intercepted
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that during the large-scale Russian attack on the night of 1 August, Ukrainian air defence forces were only able to shoot down one ballistic missile due to a shortage of interceptor missiles for the Patriot systems.
This was reported by Censor.NET, citing the Ukrainian president’s Telegram channel.
According to him, it is precisely this shortage of anti-ballistic capabilities that is allowing Russia to intensify its strikes on Ukrainian cities.
The head of state said that on the night of 1 August, Russia fired 35 missiles at Ukraine, 27 of which were ballistic, as well as 185 attack drones of various types.
"Only one ballistic missile was shot down last night simply because there are no missiles forthe ‘Patriots’. And it is precisely this shortage of anti-ballistic interceptors that only encourages Russia to launch such attacks against civilian lives," Zelenskyy emphasised.
The President noted that Kyiv was the main target of the night-time attack, but the Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Kharkiv and Poltava regions were also hit.
Nine dead and dozens injured
Zelenskyy reported that work has been ongoing since last night in Kyiv and the surrounding region to deal with the aftermath of the Russian strike.
According to him, 18 residential buildings, a school, the Lithuanian embassy building and infrastructure facilities were damaged.
"As things stand, we know that nine people have died as a result of this attack. My condolences go out to their families and loved ones. Dozens of people have been injured. Medical staff are providing assistance to everyone who needs it," the president said.
Zelenskyy called on partners to speed up the supply of air defence systems
The President emphasised that Ukraine needs additional air defence systems and interceptor missiles right now, not in the future.
"It is vital that our partners understand that these systems are not needed sitting in warehouses for potential scenarios, but here and now, so that the Russian war can be contained and stopped in Ukraine," Zelenskyy said.
He also emphasised that every new package of anti-ballistic systems helps to save the lives of Ukrainians.
"Every package of anti-ballistic systems saves the lives of our people. And every night that we are without them leads to casualties," the president added.
