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Zelenskyy Seeks Patriot Systems From US11/10 06:05
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday he wants to order 25 Patriot air
defense systems from the United States, as Ukraine desperately tries to fend
off relentless Russian aerial attacks that have brought rolling blackouts
across Ukraine on the brink of winter.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) -- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday he wants to
order 25 Patriot air defense systems from the United States, as Ukraine
desperately tries to fend off relentless Russian aerial attacks that have
brought rolling blackouts across Ukraine on the brink of winter.
Zelenskyy acknowledged that the Patriot systems are expensive and that such
a large batch could take years to manufacture. But he said European countries
could give their Patriots to Ukraine and await replacements, stressing that "we
would not like to wait."
Combined missile and drone strikes on the power grid have coincided with
Ukraine's frantic efforts to hold back a Russian battlefield push aimed at
capturing the eastern stronghold of Pokrovsk. Meanwhile, international peace
efforts appear to have dissipated, nearly four years after Russia invaded its
neighbor.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine recently received more Patriot systems from Germany.
It is not known how many Patriot systems are in Ukraine. But on the whole air
defenses remain stretched thin across wide expanses of Ukrainian territory, and
the threat to the provision of heating and running water in the bitter winter
is acute.
NATO is coordinating regular deliveries of large weapons packages to
Ukraine. European allies and Canada are buying much of the equipment from the
United States. The Trump administration is not giving any arms to Ukraine,
unlike the previous Biden administration.
Russia's attacks on energy infrastructure have grown more effective. It
launches hundreds of drones, some equipped with cameras to improve targeting,
that overwhelm Ukraine's air defenses, especially in regions where protection
is weaker. Also, this year it is striking region by region, hitting local
switchyards and substations, instead of taking aim at the centralized national
grid.
Ukraine's Energy Ministry said Monday that Russian attacks caused more
damage to its power infrastructure, resulting in scheduled blackouts in most of
the country's regions. It urged Ukrainians to rationalize their use of
electricity, especially during peak consumption hours in the mornings and
evenings.
Meanwhile, the two sides were locked in a battle for control of Pokrovsk, in
Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region where Zelenskyy says Russia has assembled
170,000 troops for a renewed push.
There has been a relative lull in fighting in recent days, according to
reports gathered by the Institute for the Study of War. But the
Washington-based think tank said it expected Russian forces to quicken the
tempo of their attacks in coming days as they move more troops into the city.
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