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Air Force: Western countries leased Ukraine air defense systems

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Air Force: Western countries leased Ukraine air defense systems
The launcher of a Patriot air defense system is set up during the "Resilient Guard 2020" air defense exercise on Oct. 14, 2020 in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. (Thomas Frey/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Western partners leased Ukraine air defense systems for the cold months ahead, Yuri Ihnat, the Air Force's spokesperson, told national television on Oct. 15.

"The fact that Ukraine can have these systems for use during the heating season is a significant and positive sign," he said.

The heating season in Ukraine lasts from mid-October till mid-April.

An Air Force spokesperson hasn’t mentioned the types of air defense systems and the countries that already have provided Ukraine with leased systems, saying it is a “sensitive topic.”

Russian forces intensified their attacks last year against Ukraine’s critical infrastructure as winter rapidly approached.

In mid-October last year, just as Ukraine’s heating season began, Russia launched a series of massive attacks with over 1,200 missiles and kamikaze drones against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, leading to civilian casualties and blackouts amid freezing temperatures and electricity rationing.

Some 250 missiles and drones hit Ukrenergo sites alone, causing an energy deficit in the country, the company said.

Compared to the last heating season, Ukraine increased its air defense arsenal to protect the grids.

With winter approaching, is Ukraine’s energy system ready for renewed Russian attacks?
The specter of Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy system looms once again as winter rapidly approaches. Last year in early October, just as Ukraine’s heating season began, Russia launched a month-long series of missile and drone attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, leading to blackouts…
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Alexander Khrebet

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Alexander Khrebet is a reporter with the Kyiv Independent. He covers Ukraine’s foreign policy, alleged abuse of power in the country’s military leadership, and reports on the Russian-occupied territories. Alexander is the European Press Prize 2023 winner, the #AllForJan Award 2023 winner and Ukraine's 2022 National Investigative Journalism Award finalist. His was published in the Washington Times and Atlantic Council.

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The Kyiv Independent staff documented what it feels like to live and sleep in Kyiv, Ukraine, as Russia intensifies its drone and missile attacks on the city. Filmed over several weeks in June and July, our journalists take shelter in bathrooms, basements, and parking garages as explosions ring out overhead.

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