Following the overnight missile strike on Odesa and a number of other regions of Ukraine, the President reported on the scale of the destruction and announced new international contacts to strengthen the air defence system.
According to him, Odesa has experienced serious disruptions to electricity and water supplies after the attack. All services have been mobilised, including repair crews and rescuers from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. By morning, more than 300 thousand families in Odesa and the region were left without power; by the time of his address, electricity supply had been restored for roughly one third of consumers, and work is continuing.
Kharkiv and the region, Pavlograd, Kherson, Sumy region and Zhytomyr region also came under fire. The President stressed that it is important to provide real assistance to people in all the affected regions.
Throughout the day, he received reports from Prime Minister Koretskyi and discussed the situation with Commander-in-Chief Drapatyi, in particular issues of protecting Ukrainian cities and further steps in response to Russian strikes.
The President thanked the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine for continuing operations against Russian infrastructure. According to his information, Ukrainian forces are striking oil refining facilities in Russia, as well as Russian surface-to-air missile systems, radar stations and other targets in the Azov and Black Sea regions.
The Head of State underlined that the Russian war is becoming increasingly tangible for the aggressor on its own territory, and he linked the continuation of hostilities to Russia’s unwillingness to end the war.
He also noted that new contacts with international mediators are planned during the week regarding the necessary steps and proposals to achieve peace, and that Ukraine will continue to remain active in the diplomatic arena.
«There will be new contacts aimed at securing air defence packages – to protect our state and our people»