Ukraine needs additional MIM-104 Patriot air defense systems to increase the effectiveness of protection against russian strikes using ballistic missiles.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this during an address to participants in the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Ramstein), his words are quoted by RBC-Ukraine.
"Today I am speaking to you from Kryvyi Rih. This city lives in conditions of almost constant air alert - due to drones or Russian missiles. The most dangerous threat is ballistic missiles," the President emphasized.
He recalled that when the russians launch ballistic missiles, people have only a few minutes to get to shelter.
Zelenskyy also recalled that the day before, 20 people, including 9 children, were killed as a result of the hit of a ballistic missile in Kryvyi Rih.
According to him, only Patriot air defense systems can effectively shoot down ballistic missiles. Ukraine has a limited number of such systems, they regularly have to be moved between cities to protect against missile attacks.
"I ask you to focus primarily on air defense for Ukraine. We really need it. Ten Patriot systems - the free world has them," Zelenskyy added.
As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, at the end of March this year, President Zelenskyy said that Ukraine would receive licenses for the production of air defense systems.
Recall that earlier the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that it was possible to save air defense systems in the first days of russia's full-scale invasion.
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