Ukraine has only 10% of air defence systems it needs — President Zelensky

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, against the background of massive russian missile attacks, which have been going on for the fourth day (and eighth month), repeated his call to increase the capacity of Ukrainian air defence. He stated that Kyiv had only about 10% of what Ukrainians needed to fight moscow's missile attacks.

Source. Official website of the President of Ukraine, CNN.

“We are fighting a large country that has a lot of equipment and lots of missiles,” President Zelensky said on Thursday during an online address at the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly session.

“There is nothing I can add regarding this issue, we have about 10% of what we need,” President Zelensky said, answering questions from European lawmakers.

“I ask you at all levels – in politics, in the media, in communication with voters – to defend the provision of Ukraine with a sufficient number of modern anti-aircraft and anti-missile defence systems. Already this year, we need to protect our sky from the terror of russia. If this is done, it will be a fundamental step to end the entire war in the near future,” the President of Ukraine said in his address.

In addition, President Zelensky appealed to the PACE and European politicians to support a compensation mechanism to reimburse for the damage caused to Ukraine by the war.

“We suggest the way to create it (the compensation mechanism). The corresponding project has already been prepared by Ukraine. I urge you to support it – both in Europe and at the level of the UN General Assembly.

All the more so since it is in Europe that the lion's share of russian assets is concentrated – both of the state itself, and of corrupt officials and corrupt businesses associated with the aggressor state. russian assets should be directed to compensation for war losses,” the President emphasised.