Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his concern about the ground attack that Russia began on May 10 in the Kharkiv region, noting that this attack is merely a prelude to a broader attack in the north and east.
Zelensky said in a media interview yesterday, Saturday, that Russian forces penetrated between five and ten kilometers along the northeastern border before Ukrainian forces stopped them.
This comes as the Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force said on Sunday that the Air Force destroyed all 37 attack drones launched by Russia last night.
The commander added: "As a result of an anti-aircraft battle, a total of 37 Shahed aircraft were shot down in the regions of Kiev, Odessa, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Vinnitsa, Zhytomir, Cherkasy and Kherson."
In addition, Zelensky emphasized in the interview: “We stopped them and I will not say that it is a great (Russian) success, but we have to acknowledge that they are the ones penetrating our land, not the other way around.”
He pointed out that the situation has not stabilized yet, explaining that "however, the situation is under control and better than the first day of the attack, thanks to the reinforcements deployed."
Zelensky acknowledged a shortage in Ukrainian forces, pointing out that this affects the morale of the soldiers, at a time when a new mobilization law entered into force on Saturday to strengthen the ranks of the army.
The Ukrainian president called on his Western allies not to show weakness and to supply his country with two Patriot anti-aircraft systems. He said that Ukraine only has a quarter of the air defense systems it needs, adding that it also needs 120 to 130 F-16 fighter planes to confront the Russian air force.
The Russian forces, which had made slight progress in recent months on Ukrainian territory, launched a surprise attack on the Ukrainian Kharkiv region, achieving their largest gains in 18 months.
For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed last Friday that the goal of the new attack is to establish a "buffer zone" in the face of Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory, indicating that his forces do not intend to invade the city of Kharkiv.
According to statements by a local official yesterday, Saturday, about 10,000 people were forced to flee their homes in the Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine since Russia began its surprise ground attack.
Russia took control of 278 square kilometers between May 9 and 15 in eastern Ukraine, especially in the Kharkiv region, in its largest penetration in a year and a half, according to an analysis conducted by Agence France-Presse based on data from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine, and to end it, it stipulated that Kiev “abandon” plans to join military entities, which prompted capitals, led by Washington, to impose severe economic sanctions on Moscow.
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