President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine has accumulated $43 billion in the defense industry between local funding and allies so far this year, using it to increase the production and purchase of drones, artillery and other weapons.
Kiev has also launched a “Building with Ukraine” plan and announced that it will sign a new agreement this summer, including opening production lines in European countries.
“We will provide relevant technology and produce weapons for us and their country, including drones, missiles and possible artillery,” Zelenskiy’s reporter in Kiev later Friday.
Ukraine is seeking to drive out the Russian invasion until the fourth year and relying on military aid from allies, especially the United States, to develop its domestic military capabilities.
“Sustaining U.S. support is our top priority,” Zelenskiy said, adding that while some European counties say they will stick to Ukraine at all costs, the most difficult situation is the lack of U.S. participation. ”
Zelenskiy is expected to attend the NATO summit in The Hague which begins on Tuesday. He denied that Ukraine faces damage to many Patriot air defense systems provided by the United States and other allies since 2022, or lacks the weapons to successfully operate them.
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He said Ukraine’s air defense measures were also solved by the use of interceptor drones, which could shoot down the Schach-type drones used in Russia.
Kremlin troops continue to carry out large-scale air bombings in Ukraine. The Ukrainian General Staff regularly updates, with Moscow launching 272 drones and eight missiles overnight. Kremenchuk in the Poltava region was once again targeted after suffering new losses a week ago.
Russia also continues to use Glide bombs and other weapons on the front lines in eastern Ukraine, as well as in northeastern Sumy and Kharkiv, near the national borders, and Sumy and Kharkiv in Dnipropetrovsk and other regions, and elsewhere.
Read more: EU abandons proposal to lower Russian oil price cap to $45
Zelenskiy repeatedly calls for energy restrictions, such as the lower oil price cap for the Russian oil price shelved this week by the EU – and sanctions on companies directly and indirectly working with the Russian defense industry.
He said about 39 defense companies were involved in the production of Russia’s experimental Oreshnik ballistic missiles, of which 21 have not been approved.
