Ukraine downs 87 drones as Russia retaliates for attack | DW News

Ukraine downs 87 drones as Russia retaliates for attack | DW News

Russia has launched 90 attack drones in an aerial assault on Ukraine in the hours leading into New Year’s Day keev says that its air defenses destroyed 87 of them it came as Ukraine’s president volodimir zalinski gave a motivational 20-minute New Year’s address to his Nation after almost two years of war

With Russia Ukraine is alive Ukraine fights Ukraine exists he said as he encouraged citizens to keep up their efforts he said a victory was not received or granted but gained there was no mention though of the ongoing problems in securing continued military aid from his allies including the US and the

EU DW correspondent Sonia fukar is in Ukraine for us she joins us from Kei Sonia what does alinsky’s New Year Speech tell us about where the country is right now in its war effort when said this was I think mainly um a defiant speech uh aimed at rallying ukrainians president zalinski said the

Russian invasion had already demonstrated the strength and resilience uh of his country we have to remember this week of course Ukraine endured uh what it says is the worst Russian aerial bombardment of the country since the beginning of the fullscale invasion and this comes of course uh after nearly 2

Years of grinding conflict as Pro reportedly a stalemate on the battlefield the Ukrainian Army facing a shortage of men and Munitions and so I think the mood here has certainly turned gloomier and so this was a speech really meant to boost morale and and raise spirits and so it

Didn’t really make any reference to a faltering counter offensive or the situation on the front line in the East and in the South where Russian forces are reportedly on the offensive in some places and an attempt to also boost morale um presumably the Ukrainian president promised an increase in

Domestic weapons production but you know that’s that’s been an effort that we’ve seen especially ramp up in the past months it’s it’s not being seen however as enough to turn the course of the war how difficult is Ukraine’s position right now uh that is correct I mean president

Zalinski you know kind of repeated his promise of of ramping up domestic production production next year in Ukraine particularly he said uh this year sorry particularly he said um you know uh producing a million uh uh drones that have been quite essential in Ukraine’s uh fight because it’s been

Using them Behind Enemy Lines uh but you’re right that analysts here say this will not be enough to change the tide of the war Ukraine remains heavily dependent on Western weapons and I think these massive Russian aerial bombardments of Ukraine this week kind of really has raised concerns here and

Raised questions about whether Ukraine can withstand such a coordinated barrage uh in the future and it I think underscores uh the continuing need for critical weapons to Ukraine in particular you know Advanced Air Defense systems uh particularly for Frontline cities and towns uh and and crucially Munitions because we’re also hearing

Reports that a shortage of iuns is beginning to affect uh you know Frontline operations on the on the battlefield uh with some Ukrainian you know Crews saying they’re now needing to ration uh artillery shells so I think this all this kind of uh uh has raised hopes and and concerns here that the

West will now you know continue to supply and unblock these uh massive uh do um military and financial packages in Washington and in Brussels and continue to to uh Supply Ukraine with critical weapons the concerns here if that doesn’t happen that will bold in Russia

And that it could raise the risk of you know costly setbacks on the battlefield Sonia clar reporting from keev thank you

Russia launched 90 attack drones in an aerial assault on Ukraine in the hours leading into New Year’s Day. Kyiv says its air defenses destroyed 87 of them.
It came as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenksyy gave a motivational 20-minute New Year’s address to his nation after almost two years of war with Russia. “Ukraine is alive. Ukraine fights. Ukraine exists,” he said as he encouraged citizens to keep up their efforts. He said a victory was not received or granted but “gained”. There was no mention, though, of the ongoing problems in securing continued military aid from his allies including the US and EU.

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