WESTERN PERSPECTIVE
Ukraine's Zelenskiy warns of dwindling air defence missiles
Ukraine could run out of air defence missiles if Russia keeps up its intense long-range bombing campaign, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned in remarks aired on Saturday.
The Ukrainian leader's starkest warning to date of the deteriorating situation faced by his country's air defences follows weeks of Russian strikes on the energy system, towns and cities using a broad arsenal of missiles and drones.
"If they keep hitting (Ukraine) every day the way they have for the last month, we might run out of missiles, and the partners know it," he said in an interview that aired on Ukrainian television.
Zelenskiy, who has been appealing to allies for weeks to rush in more air defences, said that Ukraine had enough stockpiles to cope for the moment, but that it was already having to make difficult choices about what to protect.
He singled out in particular the need for Patriot air defence systems and said Ukraine needed 25 of them.
The sophisticated U.S. air defence system has been vital during Russian attacks with ballistic and hypersonic missiles which can hit targets within a matter of minutes.
His remarks followed a fresh spate of attacks that Ukrainian officials said killed civilians.
Two Russian missile and drone strikes, one in the early hours of Saturday and a second in the afternoon, killed eight people and wounded at least 10 more people in northeastern Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city.
In the eastern region of Donetsk, artillery shelling killed four people in the village of Kurakhivka including a 38-year-old woman and her 16-year-old daughter, and a 25-year-old man in the village of Krasnohorivka was killed, while in Odesa in the south, a missile strike killed one civilian.
Ukraine's largest private power company DTEK says the strikes had hit 80% of its generating capacity and the grid has introduced rolling blackouts to stabilise the system.
'WE WILL AGREE TO ANY OPTIONS'
The battlefield momentum has moved against Ukraine in recent months as Kyiv grappled with a slowdown in military assistance from the West and in particular from the United States.
"The situation is difficult, but nevertheless stabilized. The enemy does not advance: when it takes steps forward, ours repel (them), and it retreats. On the contrary, our guys are taking some steps forward," he said.
Zelenskiy said he still believed that a major aid package would be approved by Congress where it has been stuck in deliberations since late last year facing determined Republican opposition.
"I still believe that we can get a positive vote in the United States Congress," he said.
Asked by the interviewer about the possibility of Ukraine receiving the package in the form of a loan, he said: "We will agree to any options."
He added that some artillery shells were being supplied to Ukraine under foreign initiatives that he did not name and that they were being used for defensive operations.
"We don't have shells for counteroffensive actions, as for the defence - there are several initiatives, and we're receiving weapons," he said.
The interview was recorded next to a military fortification in northeastern Chernihiv region, which borders Russia.
It was not clear exactly which day the interview was recorded, but Zelenskiy met with a bipartisan group of members of Congress in the region on Friday.
RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE
Russian Armed Forces occupy more advantageous positions in Donetsk direction
Units of the Southern Group of the Russian Armed Forces occupied more advantageous positions in the Donetsk direction. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, two counterattacks by the mountain assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were repelled during the day.
Here are the details of this and other combat actions that happened over the past week, according to the bulletin.
Donetsk area
"Units of the Southern Group of Forces occupied more advantageous positions in the Donetsk direction and inflicted fire on formations of the 5th assault, 79th air assault, 81st airmobile, 24th, 28th, 53rd mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas settlements of Antonovka, Krasnogorovka, Krasnoe, and Novoe in the Donetsk People's Republic and Belogorovka in the Lugansk People's Republic," the statement said.
At the same time, the losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine per day in the Donetsk direction amounted to over 470 military personnel, the Ministry said. "The Armed Forces of Ukraine lost over 470 military personnel, 2 armored combat vehicles, 8 cars, a 155-mm M109 Paladin self-propelled artillery mount, a US-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, 4 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery mounts, a 100-mm Rapier anti-tank gun, as well as a field ammunition depot," the ministry said.
South Donetsk area
"Units of the Vostok group of troops improved the situation along the front line in the South Donetsk direction and defeated the manpower and equipment of the 72nd motorized infantry, 58th mechanized brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the 128th terrestrial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Urozhaynoye and Staromayorskoye of the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.
Avdeyevka area
"The enemy lost more than 280 military personnel, 3 tanks, 2 armored combat vehicles and 6 vehicles," the ministry said.
Units of the Center Group of the Russian Armed Forces improved their tactical position in the Avdeyevka direction and repelled 12 counterattacks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ministry noted.
"In the Avdeyevka direction, units of the Center group of troops through active actions improved the tactical situation and repelled 12 counterattacks by assault groups of the 25th Airborne, 68th, 71st Infantry, 24th, 47th, 115th Mechanized Brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Novogorodskoye, Novokalinovo, Pervomaiskoye, and Berdychi of the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said.
Zaporozhye region and Kherson area
Units of the Dnepr group of forces inflicted fire damage on the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Rabotina district in the Zaporozhye region and the Ivanovka district in the Kherson region.
"In the Kherson direction, units of the Dnepr group of forces inflicted fire on the formations of the 65th mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the 35th Marine Brigade in the areas of the settlements of Rabotino, Zaporozhye region and Ivanovka, Kherson region. The enemy lost up to 35 military personnel, 7 vehicles, French-made 155-mm Caesar self-propelled artillery mount, a US-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, and two 122-mm D-30 howitzers," the ministry said.
Kharkov area
The Russian military destroyed two launchers of the French-Italian SAMP-T anti-aircraft missile system in the Kharkov area.
"Operational-tactical aviation, missile forces and artillery of groupings of troops of the Russian Armed Forces in the area of the city of Kharkov destroyed two launchers of French-Italian SAMP-T anti-aircraft missile system and also defeated the personnel and military equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 133 areas," the Russian Ministry of Defense said.
"In the Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces inflicted fire on the personnel and equipment of the 57th motorized infantry brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the 103rd military defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Sinkovka and Berestovoe, Kharkov region. The losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces amounted to up to 35 military personnel, a tank, two cars, 122-mm self-propelled artillery mount Gvozdika, as well as a US counter-battery radar station AN/TPQ-50," the ministry said.
Air Force and air defenses
"Air defense systems shot down 205 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, a Hammer guided aerial bomb made in France, as well as 6 HIMARS and Uragan missiles," the ministry said in a statement.
At the same time, the Russian military carried out a group strike at night on enterprises of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine, military airfields, and temporary deployment points for mercenaries - the objectives of the strike were achieved.
"Tonight, the Russian Armed Forces launched a group strike with high-precision long-range sea-and air-based weapons, unmanned aerial vehicles on enterprises of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine that produced and repaired armored and automotive equipment, UAVs, military airfields, and temporary deployment points of foreign mercenaries. The objectives of the strike were achieved. All designated targets were hit," according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Reuters/Tass