Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday, March 2, repeated a call for his Western allies to more quickly equip Kiev with more air defense systems after Russian attacks left at least six dead, according to Kiev.
Published on: March 2, 2024 – 2:53 p.m
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Attacks on the Black Sea port city of Odessa on Friday night killed four people, including a small child, and destroyed a nine-story building, officials said Ukrainian. According to Ukrainian rescuers, eight people were injured in the attack. Images posted on social media showed that several floors of a building had completely collapsed.
Meanwhile, in the Kharkiv region near the border, a 76-year-old man was killed by shelling Russian, and another person in southern Kherson, according to regional authorities. “Russia continues to attack civilians,” Ukrainian President Zelensky complained on social media. “We need more air defense from our partners. We must strengthen Ukraine's air shield to better protect our people from Russian terrorism. “More anti-aircraft systems and more missiles for anti-aircraft systems save lives,” he demanded.
Victory against Russia “depends on you”
After more than two years of war, the Ukrainian head of state has repeatedly called for this in recent days its Western allies to provide military assistance more quickly, and in particular called for ammunition, more air defense systems and fighter aircraft. However, American aid is still blocked in Congress due to opposition between Republicans and Democrats, and the Europeans, whose production capacity is limited, have been slow to deliver the shells promised in recent months. Victory over Russia “depends on you,” Volodymyr Zelensky warned a few days ago his Western allies, whose support is crucial for Kiev but which in recent months have held back from approving new budgetary frameworks for this purpose.
According to Ukrainian Defense Minister Roustem Umerov, Kiev was promised half of Western weapons are delivered late. This problem is adding to the fatigue of front-line soldiers who have endured two years of grueling war facing a larger Russian army.
Drone shot down in St. Petersburg
The Ukrainian Air Force said on Sunday it had intercepted 14 of the 17 Shahed explosive drones launched by Russia. Kiev forces, for their part, reportedly carried out their own drone strike on the night of Friday and Saturday, damaging a residential building in St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, about 1,000 kilometers from the border with Ukraine. The Russian National Guard said that “the crash of a drone” was the “probable” cause of the incident, which led to the evacuation of “around a hundred people.” The city authorities had previously assured that there were no victims.
Videos posted on Russian social media showed a drone falling from the sky into the building and causing an explosion, while residents reported blown-out windows and small fires caused by a drone. According to Ukrainian media, Russian air defenses shot down a drone that was targeting an oil depot less than a kilometer away.
In recent months, the Ukrainian army has attacked several Russian oil depots with explosive drones, depriving Moscow's armed forces of significant resources. On the front lines, Russian forces have gained ground in recent days, capturing several small villages in Donbass and forcing Ukrainians to reorganize their defense lines in the region.
“The situation at the front remains difficult, but under control,” said Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky on Saturday after a visit to the troops deployed at the front.
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