Russia is preparing new attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. The warning was issued, according to Ukrinform, by Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, in his video message, citing intelligence reports.

“We know that the Russians do not intend to stop their attacks. It is a fact. They are preparing new attacks. Against infrastructure. Intelligence is providing the relevant information. Therefore, everyone whose job or duty is to protect Ukraine from attacks must be focused in spring, now, as they were in winter,” Zelensky emphasized.

According to the Ukrainian president, every threat must be met with a response and Russian targets should be shot down whenever possible. “The Middle East situation shows how difficult it is to guarantee 100% protection against missiles and Shahed drones. Even Gulf countries, which have air-defence systems better and more numerous than those provided to us so far by our partners, still cannot intercept all ballistic missiles. There are also Shaheds that were not stopped by air defences in the region. Everyone now sees that our experience in defence is largely irreplaceable,” Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian president explained that Kyiv is ready to share this experience and assist those countries that supported it during the winter and throughout the war. “Europe still needs to equip itself with a real force, a real capability to defend its skies, land and sea from any kind of attack. In particular, this requires building sufficient air-defence production capacity – both against drones and against ballistic missiles,” Zelensky stressed. As reported by Ukrinform, Russia launched 738 missiles, more than 14,600 guided aerial bombs and nearly 19,000 drones against Ukraine over the winter.

The hardest winter for Ukraine

“Today is the day when each of us can rightly say: we have gotten through this winter, the most difficult of all the years of war. The Russians wanted to turn this winter into the destruction of Ukraine and Ukrainians,” Zelensky had noted, adding: “But Ukraine did not break. We preserved our energy system. Ukraine repelled a large number of massive attacks this winter.”

Zelensky reported that, during the winter season, the Russian armed forces launched 738 missiles, more than 14,600 guided aerial bombs and nearly 19,000 attack drones: “But despite everything, Ukrainians have endured this difficult winter, when Russia did not even attempt to justify its brutal attacks on critical civilian infrastructure.”

Zelensky also specified that most of the drones used by Russian forces in these offensive operations were Russian-Iranian models identified as Shahed. He added that these same drones are currently being used by the Iranian regime against countries in the Middle East.

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