Where did Ukrainian air defence disappear - Zelensky's statement

Zelensky says there was a critical shortage of air defence at the beginning of the war

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that at the beginning of the full-scale war, the state did not actually have a sufficient air defence system. According to him, Ukraine had only 25 S-300 systems and several thousand missiles.

At the same time, in the 1990s, according to the head of state, there were about 250 such systems.

«So what have you been doing with Ukraine all these years?» the president stressed.

Details of the application

Zelenskyy stressed that years of defence cuts had significantly affected the country's ability to defend its skies at the start of Russia's invasion.
That is why Ukraine was forced to urgently strengthen its air defence through international assistance and the accelerated development of its own defence capabilities.

During the years of the full-scale war, our partners provided Ukraine with modern air defence systems, which significantly increased the level of protection of cities, energy infrastructure and critical facilities.

Context.

Strengthening issues Air Defence of Ukraine remains one of the key areas of cooperation with partners from EU і NATO.
Against the backdrop of regular Russian missile and drone attacks, strengthening air defence ensures the safety of civilians, the stability of the energy system and the overall defence capability of the state.