The Ukrainian president repeatedly calls on his country’s partners to provide him with more air defense systems. The third Patriot system supplied by Germany is now apparently ready for use.
Ukraine has strengthened its air defenses against Russian attacks and feels a little safer. “The German Patriot has arrived,” said President Volodymyr Zelensky in his nightly video address. Germany has provided Ukraine with three Patriot air defense systems, and according to Zelensky, the third has reported that it is ready for use.
“We will be able to do more in the skies,” Zelensky continued. “Of course, there is still a lot to do and protection is far from guaranteed, but it is still a win for Ukraine.”
In recent weeks, Zelensky has repeatedly stressed that Ukraine needs additional air defense systems to comprehensively protect its airspace. The numbers he mentioned for the Patriot systems needed vary between six and 25. It is unclear how many systems have been delivered so far and whether they are all still operational.
Russia is constantly carrying out new air attacks on Ukraine. The Ukrainian air defenses are being tested either by so-called kamikaze drones, which usually attack in waves, or by missile and air attacks with special remote-controlled glide bombs that are guided to the target by fighter pilots.
Combine harvester hit by combat drone in Ukraine
Meanwhile, the driver of a combine harvester was killed in a Russian drone attack in the Sumy region of eastern Ukraine. His passenger was seriously injured in the attack in the afternoon, Ukrainian media reported, citing the local prosecutor’s office. The combine harvester was in a field during the harvest.
Russia has been waging a war of aggression against Ukraine for over two years, with Russian troops attacking both civilian and military targets.
Fighting has subsided slightly
The fighting in Ukraine eased slightly on Sunday. The General Staff in Kiev reported only 58 armed clashes on the various front lines, usually this number is over 100. The heaviest fighting was reported in the regions around Kharkiv and Kupiansk in the east. “Our steadfast defenders are thwarting the plans of the occupiers and inflicting irreparable losses on the enemy through their professional actions in extremely difficult conditions,” the statement said.
New Russian troops near Kharkiv
The Ukrainian military is suspiciously observing Russian troop reinforcements in eastern Ukraine. New units have been stationed near Hlubokoye in the Kharkiv region, reported Nasar Voloshin, spokesman for the Ukrainian troops defending the area. Among other things, an assault force of the marines of the Russian Pacific Fleet and parts of a rifle division have been brought into the area.
At the beginning of May, the Russian military began a major operation aimed at Kharkiv. The aim of the attack, however, was not to capture the city, but rather to establish a buffer zone between the Ukrainian positions and the nearby Russian border. Moscow wanted to use this to stop the constant Ukrainian artillery raids on Russian territory.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
