The night at a glance: Selenskyj calls for modern combat aircraft
Dhe Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the EU for its previous support – and at the same time made new wishes. Once again, he urged EU leaders to supply his country with modern warplanes, as well as longer-range missiles. After his visit to the liberated Cherson in the south of the country, he reported on Thursday that life is gradually returning there.
Zelenskyj: Russia is bluffing
He thanked Poland and Slovakia for the decision fighter planes of the Soviet MiG-29 type, said Zelenskyj on Thursday at an EU summit to which he was connected via video. “This will significantly strengthen the defense of our airspace. But we need modern aircraft.”
Slovakia had announced on Thursday that Ukraine to have delivered the first 4 of their 13 promised Soviet MiG-29 aircraft. Earlier, Poland had announced the delivery of fighter jets of the same type. Zelenskyy has also been pushing for the delivery of modern combat aircraft from the West for a long time.
Zelenskyy asked the summit participants if there was a rationale behind the delay in the delivery of modern aircraft. He referred to the Russian threats before the delivery of the German Leopard main battle tank from the EU. “And what did Russia do then? We all have to get used to the fact that a terrorist state bluffs more often than it can escalate.”
Zelenskyj emphasized: “Time is important. Not only months and weeks, but also days are important. The faster we act together, the more lives we can save.” At the same time, he referred to the previous support from abroad. “This is proof that Europe knows how to defend its values and has the courage to stand up to terrorism,” he said.
Zelenskyj: Life returns to destroyed villages
After a visit to the Cherson region in southern Ukraine, which was largely recaptured by Ukrainian troops in the autumn, Zelenskyj drew a positive conclusion. “In some places, more than 90 percent of the buildings were destroyed,” said Zelenskyj in his nightly video address on Thursday. “But even in such villages, people are returning, and that is proof that life is still winning.” Ukraine will do its utmost “to rebuild our territories”.
Life is even returning to the fields around Cherson. “It is a pleasure to see how the fields in the Kherson region, cleared by Russian mines and shells, are being cultivated and brought back to life,” said Zelenskyy. However, there are still enough fields that are mined. “There is still enough work for our pioneers and pyrotechnicians.” But he is confident, stressed Zelenskyj, that these areas will be free of all deadly legacies of Russia would be freed. “All Ukraine will live.”
