After a Russian attack on a major Ukrainian city, President Zelenskyj is demanding consequences. The attack would not have happened if Kyiv had had more options for defense, he argues.
After a deadly Russian missile attack on the city of Poltava, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has again asked the West for more air defense systems. At the same time, he asked for permission to use long-range weapons against Russia.
“The Russian strikes will become impossible when we are able to destroy the occupiers’ launch pads where they are, as well as the Russian military airfields and the logistics associated with them,” Zelensky said in his daily video address. According to him, the number of dead in Poltava has now risen to 51 and the number of injured to 271.
In the morning, Russia attacked the city of Poltava, 280 kilometers east of Moscow, with missiles. In terms of the number of victims, the attack is considered to be one of the most serious since the start of the Russian war of aggression two and a half years ago. The number of victims is likely to rise. According to Zelensky, there are more people lying under the rubble.
The Ukrainian head of state thanked neighboring Romania for announcing the delivery of a battery of the Patriot air defense system. He also spoke to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the phone and discussed the need for additional air defense systems and long-range weapons, said Zelensky.
Zelensky also announced the restructuring of the government in order to meet the foreign and domestic policy challenges of the upcoming autumn. One of the biggest problems is the energy supply to the population in the cold season – the country’s electricity and heating networks have been severely damaged by the constant Russian attacks. Ukrainians already have to live with frequent power outages.
