President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reveals Ukraine’s inability to defend against a Russian missile attack due to a shortage of air defense missiles, resulting in significant damage to the Trypillia power plant.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Last week, a Russian missile strike devastated the largest power plant in the region surrounding Kyiv, the Trypilska thermal power plant, which could not be defended due to a shortage of air defense missiles in Ukraine. This incident underscores the acute challenges Ukraine faces as Russia intensifies its assaults on the country’s energy infrastructure.
In an interview with PBS, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy detailed the events, stating, “There were 11 missiles flying. We destroyed the first seven, and four destroyed Trypillia. Why? Because there were zero missiles. We ran out of missiles to defend Trypillia.” The authenticity of this account has not been independently verified by Reuters, but it aligns with previous warnings from Zelenskiy about the precarious state of Ukraine’s air defenses.
The Trypilska power plant, with a capacity of 1,800 megawatts, was a critical energy facility for the region, surpassing the pre-war electricity needs of Ukraine’s capital. Although other stations and imports have temporarily compensated for the loss, Ukrainian residents have been advised to conserve electricity.
Russia’s strategy has involved escalating missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s grid system since mid-March, marking this as the second major assault on the Ukrainian energy framework since the invasion began over two years ago. This recent series of attacks has been more destructive than the initial ones, resulting in a loss of approximately 7 gigawatts of power generating capacity.
Moscow has justified these strikes as a means to degrade Ukraine’s military capabilities and retaliate against Ukrainian attacks inside Russia. However, these actions have primarily impacted civilian infrastructure, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.
The situation has prompted urgent requests from Ukraine for more robust air defense systems. While Ukraine estimates a need for 25 Patriot systems to adequately secure its airspace, Western allies have been hesitant to meet this demand fully. Following Ukraine’s appeals, Germany has committed to sending an additional Patriot system to aid in the defense efforts.
