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Zelensky announces faster air defense deliveries after deadly Russian strikes

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Zelensky announces faster air defense deliveries after deadly Russian strikes
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Aug. 13, 2025, in Berlin, Germany. (Omer Messinger/Getty Images)

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept. 1 that the delivery of additional air defense systems would be accelerated to shield Ukraine from Russian missile and drone attacks.

The announcement followed intensified Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure, including the Aug. 28 attack on Kyiv that killed 25 people.

"We are accelerating the supply of additional air defense systems to enhance protection against missiles," Zelensky wrote on X, without naming any specific agreement. "We count on the maximum efforts of Ukrainian diplomats in their contacts with partners."

Zelensky instructed National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov to coordinate with officials, regional authorities, and energy companies to procure more short- and medium-range systems and increase funding for drone manufacturers.

The president also said Ukraine is preparing a Technological Staff meeting with domestic producers of missiles, drones, and air defense systems.

"The priority is intercepting 'Shaheds,'" he wrote. "We also discussed the protection of networks and energy facilities in front-line and border communities, along with backup supply."

Shahed-type drones, mass-produced in Russia from Iranian designs, have become central to Moscow's long-range strikes. Overnight on Aug. 31, Russia struck Odesa Oblast's energy grid with the drones, leaving more than 29,000 consumers without power.

Ukraine has made countering Shaheds a core defense priority for 2025 as Russia scales up drone production.

Zelensky to reportedly meet European leaders in Paris on Sept. 4
U.S. President Donald Trump, who has pledged to broker a swift peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow, is not expected to attend the Paris meeting at the moment, a source told AFP.
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Tim Zadorozhnyy

News Editor

Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.

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