By Sertac Aktan withAFP
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Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday called on Western allies to provide more air defense support as Russian attacks have left hundreds of buildings in Kiev without heat or electricity in freezing temperatures.
Russia has taken a toll on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure throughout its nearly four-year war, but Kiev said this winter was the toughest.
“This week alone, Russia launched more than 1,700 attack drones, more than 1,380 guided aerial bombs and 69 missiles of various types,” President Zelenskiy said, arriving in Vilnius to take part in ceremonies commemorating the 1863 uprising against Tsarist Russia in Poland and Lithuania.
“Therefore, missiles for air defense systems are needed every day, and we continue to work with the United States and Europe to ensure stronger protection of our skies,” he added.
Kiev has been particularly hard hit, with 500,000 people forced to evacuate.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said, “Following the enemy’s attack on Kyiv on January 24, there are now 1,676 high-rise apartment buildings in Kyiv without heating.”
Freezing temperatures and repeated airstrikes are hampering the efforts of repair crews to restore heating and electricity.
On Friday and Saturday, U.S., Russian and Ukrainian officials took part in talks aimed at ending the war in Abu Dhabi.
President Zelensky said the talks had not yielded any breakthrough but were nevertheless “constructive” and the two sides had agreed to meet again next week in Abu Dhabi.
