Adnkronos (Adnkronos) –
Ukraine has run out of missiles for the US Patriot air defense system, making it more vulnerable to Russian ballistic missile attacks, CNN reports, citing a source familiar with the situation. This news comes as the conflict between Trump and Zelensky escalates.
In recent days, the White House has finalized a deal to import Russian diesel and increased pressure on Ukraine to halt attacks on Russian oil infrastructure. Zelensky expressed his feelings of betrayal by Trump's agreement with Putin and subsequently announced that Ukraine would continue to target Russian refineries.
For months, CNN highlights, Zelensky has repeatedly warned that Ukraine is running out of US interceptor missiles for Patriot systems, among the few defensive weapons capable of shooting down a ballistic missile.
A source told CNN that “almost all the ballistic missiles from the latest attack were not intercepted due to specialized defense systems.”
On the sidelines of his meeting with Zelensky, Macron reiterated in a post on 'X' the firm determination of France and its allies to stand by the Ukrainian people. Faced with a Russia that chooses to escalate the conflict, Macron emphasized the importance of collectively providing Ukraine with all the means necessary to defend itself and protect its infrastructure and civilian population.
In addition to material and defensive support, France reaffirmed its commitment to the pursuit of a solid and lasting peace, ensuring that it will continue to fully assume its responsibilities on the international stage.
Meanwhile, Zelensky expressed a strong condemnation of Moscow's latest military actions in a post on X: "Russia has blatantly ignored the US president's proposal for a truce in the energy sector. Now it is taking advantage of the problems in the Starlink operation to cause maximum destruction to everything that ensures daily life." Stressing the importance of international support to counter the Kremlin's strategy, Zelensky added: "We appreciate the fact that France is doing everything possible to find solutions in response to the Russian escalation. During our meeting, Russia launched yet another cowardly drone attack against Ukrainian energy infrastructure in Lutsk. Power outages are occurring in the city. Unfortunately, this type of brazen and cowardly Russian terrorism is almost always repeated these days."
To address the crisis, the two leaders agreed on a series of crucial operational measures, described by the Ukrainian president himself: "Macron and I discussed various ways to counter this situation. In particular, new aid packages will be provided this month to strengthen our combat air force. We are also accelerating work on the Freyja pan-European missile defense system, which must become operational by the end of the year. I am grateful to France: we have already obtained all the weapons production licenses they promised Ukraine. It is also important to proceed quickly with their operational implementation."
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