President Zelensky: Out of anti-aircraft missiles, Ukraine must choose cities to protect

"There are times when only the Patriot air defense system or similar can work. And here we have to choose which object to protect: this city or another," President Zelensky said.

According to President Zelensky, the current intensity of attacks by the Russian Armed Forces is quite high.

"We have air defense supplies now, but we have to think about what will happen tomorrow. Tomorrow the intensity may continue and we will not have enough," the Ukrainian leader pointed out.

According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia is believed to have launched more than 400 missiles of various types, 600 Shahed drones and 3,000 guided bombs into Ukraine in March, causing serious damage to civilian and energy infrastructure.

“Kiev is approaching a critical moment,” Ukrainian presidential chief of staff Andrei Yermak told Politico on April 5, referring to an aid package stalled in the US Congress. Ukraine still desperately needs additional air defense systems. Ukrainian officials reiterated that the latest Russian attacks were carried out with guided bombs in the air and that Patriot surface-to-air missiles could counter them by intercepting Russian aircraft.

Earlier, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at a meeting with the leaders of the armed forces on April 2 that the losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces since the beginning of 2024 have exceeded 80,000 people.

Mr. Shoigu stated that, after the failure of the summer counteroffensive in 2023, Ukraine had unsuccessfully tried to gain a foothold on certain lines. The Russian army continued to push Ukrainian troops westward. In March 2024 alone, the Russian Armed Forces liberated Nevelskoye, Orlovka, Tonenkoye, Krasnoye, as well as the village of Mirnoye in the Zaporozhye region./.