‘Have to pay’: Zelenskiy vows new strikes inside Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced new counter-attack plans deep into Russian territory after talks with his military leaders.
In his video speech broadcast in Kiev in the evening, Zelenskiy said that the purpose of the attacks was to show Moscow that “it will have to pay the price of the war with its own losses.”
He noted that Russian oil industry facilities remain a particular focus of attacks as Kiev aims to reduce Moscow’s energy export revenues, which are seen as vital to financing Russia’s war economy.
It comes as Anne Keast-Butler, head of Britain’s intelligence agency GCHQ, suggested Russian President Vladimir “Putin is going backwards on the battlefield”.
New data shows “almost half a million Russian soldiers have been killed since the start of hostilities,” he added.
Zelenskiy’s announcement on Wednesday night local time came after he called on US President Donald Trump to help Ukraine with air defense systems and interceptors, saying ballistic missiles remain Moscow’s “last major advantage on the battlefield.”
“I ask for your help to protect the skies of Ukraine from Russian missiles. We have already offered that Ukraine is ready to purchase the number of Patriot systems and interceptor missiles we need,” Zelenskiy said in a letter to Trump and the US Congress seen by Reuters. he said.
Ukraine’s only way to shoot down Russian ballistic missiles is with US-made interceptors for the Patriot air defense system. There was a shortage of interceptors in Kiev throughout the four-year war, but the Iran war threatened to make resources even more scarce.
Since Trump took office, Ukraine has been purchasing Patriot missiles through NATO’s Priority Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative, funded by its European allies.
“But the current pace of deliveries through the PURL program no longer keeps pace with the reality of the threat we face,” Zelenskiy said in his letter. he said.
“There is nothing more painful for us, a nation struggling to survive, than Patriot batteries that are not loaded with missiles,” he added.
In his nightly video speech, Zelenskiy stated that it was a rare situation for a foreign leader to send a letter to the US president and Congress at the same time, “but the current situation requires action, rapid and effective action.”
“It’s important for America to hear about Ukraine,” he said.
Zelenskiy said that protecting Ukraine against Russian ballistic missiles is critical for peace negotiations.
“The sooner we can provide protection against ballistic missiles, the faster we can make diplomacy work,” he said.
“As long as Russia relies on missiles, its interest in diplomacy is unreal. We must fix this, and we can only fix it together with America.”
The letter was first reported by Ukrainian media outlet The Kyiv Independent. Russia used 30 ballistic missiles against Ukraine in its last major attack on Sunday, and only 11 of them were shot down, according to the Ukrainian air force.
In the letter, the Ukrainian leader outlined Ukraine’s success in fending off Russia’s all-out aggression, now in its fifth year, and expressed gratitude for the support of the United States.
“But as long as Putin still has a meaningful advantage in conventional weapons, he will avoid conventional diplomacy. Today, his ballistic missiles remain exactly that – his last major advantage on the battlefield,” Zelenskiy said. he added.
Meanwhile, Russian lawmakers have backed a draft law that would allow bank employees to join the fight against Ukraine’s long-range drones and allow trained bank staff to shoot down drones.
The ambitious plan, approved by the lower house of parliament on Tuesday, calls for banks to install electronic jamming systems at their facilities and train selected employees to shoot down incoming drones.
The bill, which state news agency Interfax said was first introduced last August and later expanded in scope, must be approved by the upper house, the Federation Council, and signed by Putin before it can come into force.
via Reuters and AP
