In Lviv, ceremonial events were held to mark the Day of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, during which servicemen of Air Command “West”, who defend Ukraine’s skies every day, were honoured. The defenders were presented with awards of the Lviv Regional Council, handed over by the Council’s Chief of Staff, Yaroslav Hasiak.
The Commander of Air Command “West”, Brigadier General Oleh Zakharchuk, reported that during the overnight missile attack the day before, the military neutralised 19 of the 22 cruise missiles that entered the command’s area of responsibility. In particular, mobile fire groups shot down 5 missiles using equipment purchased with the support of local communities.
“Every night, while millions of Ukrainians go down into shelters, you fight your hard battle in the sky so that morning comes after the night. By defending Ukraine’s skies, you are at the same time standing guard over the whole of Europe,” said Yaroslav Hasiak.
According to Air Command, since the start of the full-scale war, the aviation of Air Command “West” has carried out almost 16,000 combat sorties. Anti-aircraft missile units and mobile fire groups have destroyed thousands of enemy aerial targets.
The report also notes that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, more than UAH 1 billion has already been allocated from the regional budget to support the defence sector, including UAH 330 million in the current year.