Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his support Saturday a call à its Western allies, so that they provide kyiv is installing more air defense systems, and more quickly, after Russian attacks which left at least six dead, according to Kiev. Attacks targeting the Black Sea port city of Odessa overnight from Friday to Saturday resulted in the deaths of four people, including a young child, and the destruction of a building nine stories high, according to Ukrainian officials. Eight people were injured in the attack, according to Ukrainian rescuers. Images broadcast on Social networks showed several floors of a building completely collapsed. Meanwhile, bombings killed a 76-year-old man in the Kharkiv region, near the Russian border, and another person in the southern Kherson region, according to regional authorities. “Russia continues to hit civilians,” President Zelensky lamented on social media. Emergency services intervene in the Ukrainian city of Odessa after a Russian attack on a residential building. March 2, 2024. © AFP – Oleksandr GIMANOV “We need more air defense from our partners. We need to strengthen Ukraine's air shield to better protect our people from Russian terrorism. More air defense systems and more missiles to air defense systems save lives,” he asked. After more than two years of war, in recent days, the Ukrainian leader has, repeatedly urged its Western allies to deliver military assistance more quickly, calling in particular for munitions, more air defense systems and combat aircraft. However, American aid is still blocked in Congress due to the opposition between Republicans and Democrats, and the Europeans, whose production capacities are limited, are slow to deliver the shells promised in recent months. Victory against Russia “depends on you”, Volodymyr Zelensky warned a few days ago to his Western allies, whose support is essential for Kiev, but who have been reluctant in recent months to validate new budgetary envelopes for this purpose. – “Difficult” situation – A neighbor watches as rescuers intervene at the site of a building hit by a Russian drone strike in Odessa, March 2, 2024. © AFP – Oleksandr GIMANOV According to Ukrainian Defense Minister Roustem Umerov, half of the Western weapons promised to Kiev are being delivered late. This problem is This adds to the fatigue of the soldiers engaged on the front, marked by two years of a grueling war, facing a more numerous Russian army. The Ukrainian Air Force said on Sunday that it had intercepted 14 of the 17 “Shahed” explosive drones launched by Russia. For its part, Kiev's forces apparently carried out their own drone attack overnight from Friday to Saturday, which damaged a residential building in St. Petersburg, Russia's second city located about 1,000 kilometers from the border with Ukraine. The Russian National Guard indicated that “a drone crash” was the “probable” cause of the incident, which prompted the evacuation of “around a hundred people”. The municipal authorities had assured earlier that no victims had been recorded. Videos posted on Russian social media showed what appeared to be a drone falling from the sky into the building and setting off an explosion, while residents reported blown out windows and small fires caused by a drone. According to Ukrainian media, Russian air defenses shot down a drone that was targeting an oil depot less than a kilometer away. In recent months, the Ukrainian army has used explosive drones to strike several Russian oil depots, depriving Moscow's forces of significant resources. On the front, Russian forces have gained ground in recent days, seizing several small villages in Donbass (east) and forcing the Ukrainians to reorganize their lines of defense. defense in the area. “The situation on the front remains difficult, but controlled”, judged the Ukrainian commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, on Saturday after 'a visit to the troops engaged on the front. All rights of reproduction and representation reserved. © (2024) Agence France-Presse
By Teilor Stone
Teilor Stone has been a reporter on the news desk since 2013. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining Thesaxon , Teilor Stone worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my teilor@nizhtimes.com 1-800-268-7116