In an interview with a South Korean newspaper, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine “desperately hopes” that South Korea will offer defensive military hardware such anti-aircraft systems to thwart Russian strikes.
Zelenskyy expressed appreciation for South Korea’s promise to deliver demining vehicles and humanitarian relief worth about $230 million, but said Ukraine wanted anti-aircraft and early warning systems, according to a Tuesday article from The Chosun Ilbo newspaper.
“I know there are many limitations regarding weapons support, but those principles should not be applied to defence systems and equipment for protecting our assets,” Zelenskyy told the newspaper through an interpreter.
“An anti-aircraft system is not a weapon but purely defensive equipment. We have to have a sky shield to rebuild Ukraine, and I desperately hope that South Korea will support us in this area.”
More than a dozen drones downed
The third Russian attack on the city in 24 hours, according to Ukraine, has resulted in the destruction of 29 out of 31 drones, mostly over Kyiv and the surrounding region.
“Between 11:30pm and 4:30am, Russian occupation troops attacked Ukraine” with 31 Shahed-136/131 drones, of which 29 were downed. Almost all 29 drones were downed “near the capital and in the Kyiv skies,” the Ukrainian air force said on social media.
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