Ukraine faced a significant setback in its defense against Russian aggression last week when it ran out of air defense missiles, leading to the destruction of the largest power plant in the region around Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated.
The absence of sufficient air defense capabilities highlights the dire circumstances Ukraine is grappling with as Russia intensifies its attacks on the country's energy infrastructure.
Zelenskyy disclosed that out of the 11 missiles launched in the attack, Ukraine managed to intercept the first seven, but the remaining four struck the Trypilska power plant “Because there were zero missiles [left: TVP World]. We ran out of missiles to defend Trypillia,” said Zelenskyy in an interview with PBS
Concerns about the depletion of defensive resources had been raised earlier by Zelenskyy, who warned that continued Russian assaults could exhaust Ukraine’s missile stocks entirely.
The Trypilska thermal power plant, devastated in the strike on April 11, was a crucial energy facility near Kyiv, boasting a capacity of 1,800 megawatts, surpassing the city’s pre-war energy demands. Although other power stations and imports have temporarily filled the gap, residents have been urged to conserve energy.
Since mid-March, Russia has escalated combined missile and drone attacks targeting Ukraine’s grid system, inflicting significant damage on major thermal power plants and transmission capabilities.
This marks the second major assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure by Russian forces in over two years, proving to be far more devastating than the previous attack.
In recent strikes, Ukraine suffered a loss of approximately 7 gigawatts of power-generating capacity, exacerbating the already challenging energy situation in the country.
Moscow claims that the strikes are aimed at undermining Ukraine’s ability to defend itself and are in response to recent attacks within Russia.
Despite urgent appeals from Kyiv, Western allies have been hesitant to provide additional air defense systems to Ukraine. However, Germany has pledged to send another system in response to the pressing need.
The events underscore the critical need for international support as Ukraine grapples with escalating Russian aggression and seeks to protect its vital infrastructure and resources.
Zelenskyy disclosed that out of the 11 missiles launched in the attack, Ukraine managed to intercept the first seven, but the remaining four struck the Trypilska power plant “Because there were zero missiles [left: TVP World]. We ran out of missiles to defend Trypillia,” said Zelenskyy in an interview with PBS
Concerns about the depletion of defensive resources had been raised earlier by Zelenskyy, who warned that continued Russian assaults could exhaust Ukraine’s missile stocks entirely.
The Trypilska thermal power plant, devastated in the strike on April 11, was a crucial energy facility near Kyiv, boasting a capacity of 1,800 megawatts, surpassing the city’s pre-war energy demands. Although other power stations and imports have temporarily filled the gap, residents have been urged to conserve energy.
Since mid-March, Russia has escalated combined missile and drone attacks targeting Ukraine’s grid system, inflicting significant damage on major thermal power plants and transmission capabilities.
This marks the second major assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure by Russian forces in over two years, proving to be far more devastating than the previous attack.
In recent strikes, Ukraine suffered a loss of approximately 7 gigawatts of power-generating capacity, exacerbating the already challenging energy situation in the country.
Moscow claims that the strikes are aimed at undermining Ukraine’s ability to defend itself and are in response to recent attacks within Russia.
Despite urgent appeals from Kyiv, Western allies have been hesitant to provide additional air defense systems to Ukraine. However, Germany has pledged to send another system in response to the pressing need.
The events underscore the critical need for international support as Ukraine grapples with escalating Russian aggression and seeks to protect its vital infrastructure and resources.
Source: Reuters
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