The President of Ukraine, in his address, stated that new talks with international partners are scheduled for this week, in particular on strengthening the air defence system and further support for Ukraine. He thanked the countries that are honouring their agreements and supplying anti-missile systems for air defence needs.
The Head of State reported another large-scale attack by Russian forces. According to him, the Russians struck Sumy, hitting a residential area with four aerial bombs. One of them struck a residential building, killing a person. Another bomb fell on a regular school building where children and teachers were present at the time; however, thanks to the shelter, no one at the school was injured, although the structure sustained significant damage.
The President also noted that Kyiv was again hit overnight by ballistic missiles and drones. Some of the targets, including a ballistic missile, were shot down by Ukraine’s air defence. From the morning and throughout the day, more than a hundred unmanned aerial vehicles were recorded, of which, as of 18:00, 29 were rocket-powered, 18 of which were destroyed. Most of the Shahed-type drones were also shot down by air defence forces.
In his address, the President separately stressed the importance of supplying missiles for modern air defence systems. He said that the day before, a new batch of missiles for NASAMS systems had arrived in Ukraine and described it as a very significant reinforcement. He also said that talks are continuing to secure the necessary missiles for Patriot systems.
In addition, the President reported on Belgium’s decision to transfer additional F-16 aircraft to Ukraine. It is expected that this year Ukraine will receive three more such aircraft, which will, in particular, strengthen air defence, as combat aviation is currently being actively used to intercept kamikaze drones.
The Head of State separately thanked the European Commission and the European Union for preparing the next tranche of financial assistance. He recalled that last week Ukraine received €3.3 billion for armaments, and that another tranche is expected soon, this time as budgetary support from the EU.