Ask Allies To Send Additional Air Defense, President Zelensky: Russia Uses More Than 9,000 Guided Bombs

Illustration of Western military aid for Ukraine. (Twitter/@DefenceU)

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday called for additional air defense systems to be sent to Kyiv to help protect the country from Russian attacks.

"This year, Russian jets (have) used more than 9,000 guided aerial bombs against Ukraine and we need the ability to shoot down the aircraft so they don't approach our position and borders," President Zelensky said at a virtual meeting chaired by the United States to discuss weapons assistance for Ukraine. April 26th.

American Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the meeting would focus on discussing Ukraine's air defense capabilities.

"While we are waiting for a decision on American support, the Russian army has successfully taken the initiative on the battlefield," President Zelensky said.

"Currently we can still, not only stabilizing the front line, but also moving forward to achieve Ukraine's goal of war," he added.

The meeting came days after Congress came out of the deadlock for half a year, to approve a US$61 billion aid package for Ukraine. President Joe Biden's administration quickly announced that $1 billion worth of artillery, air defense and other hardware would soon be delivered to the front lines of Ukraine.

The United States hopes its new arsenal will help Ukraine rebuild its defenses and repair its troops, as the country recovers from a shortage of American aid. However, Washington estimates Kyiv will not launch a large-scale offensive operation against Russian troops in the near future.

The entry of weapons could increase Kyiv's chances of preventing major Russian breakthroughs in the eastern region, just more than two years since Moscow's massive invasion began, military analysts said.

However, it remains unclear how much pressure Kyiv can put on Russia after months of rationing artillery as supplies are running low. Kyiv is also facing a shortage of human resources on the battlefield and there are still questions about the strength of its defense stronghold along the 1.000 km (621 miles) front line.