Europe Asia News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski made statements regarding Russia’s attacks against Ukraine and air defense capacity.

Zelenski claimed that, according to intelligence information and information obtained from some people around Russian President Vladimir Putin, Putin said at the beginning of September, “There are no rules anymore.” Zelenski said Russia had been unable to occupy Ukraine.

Zelenski said Russia was therefore carrying out intensive attacks in which many people were losing their lives, adding, “They want to go after our bridges and, as far as we understand, our data centers, our internet, our mobile network, our hospitals, kindergartens, schools, universities — everything.”

Zelenski argued that Russia wants people to flee their cities and said, “We must do everything to save our people and our cities.”

Zelenski said F-16 fighter jets destroy between 50 and 60 percent of drones, adding that work to secure weapons for the F-16s is continuing.

Zelenski said the second method is fast interceptors and that 5 interceptors are currently being tested. He said the effectiveness of these systems varies, stating, “One day they are 70 percent effective, the next day 30 percent.”

Assessing when production could be increased, Zelenski said billions of dollars would be needed to produce large quantities of systems that do not work. He noted that engines are critical, saying that a significant share is imported while some are produced domestically.

Zelenski said that of the 5 models being tested, some had been used 5 times, some 10 times and some only once, adding, “There was one, and it destroyed a Russian drone. That is the problem.”

Zelenski said they would have 400 interceptors in October, noting that if the effectiveness rate remained at 10 percent after 400 interceptors were used during several days of attacks, it would be said that the system does not work.

Zelenski added that if the effectiveness rate is 30 percent or higher, improvements can be made to the system, while “when it reaches 60–70 percent, that is a great success.”