KYIV - Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to Kyiv’s allies on March 19 to supply more air defences, saying Russia had launched 130 missiles, more than 320 attack drones and almost 900 guided bombs in attacks in March alone.

More than two years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, Kyiv relies heavily on foreign military aid, some of which has waned.

A major aid package from the United States, a close wartime ally, has been blocked by congressional Republicans for months.

“We require more protection, specifically a fully realistic number of air defence systems that our partners possess,” Mr Zelensky said on social media platform X.

“Patriots and other systems must do what they were designed for: protect lives, not collect dust in storage.”

Ukraine’s air force, Mr Zelensky said, has “demonstrated that it is capable of successfully shooting down” missiles, drones and Russian military aircraft.

A Ukrainian delegation prioritised securing more air defence systems and missiles at a meeting of allied defence ministers in Germany’s Ramstein Air Base on March 19, the Ukrainian defence ministry said.

Russian troops have stepped up their use of highly destructive guided bombs in recent months, targeting battlefield positions and regions close to the front line.

In February, a Ukrainian air force spokesperson said Russia had launched more than 8,000 missiles and 4,630 drones during the invasion to date.

In March, Russia concentrated air strikes on Odesa, targeting the Black Sea port city and region almost every day.

Two ballistic missiles killed 21 and injured more than 70 people in one attack last week.

Moscow denies targeting civilians in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which it launched in February 2022, although many have been killed in frequent Russian air strikes across the country. REUTERS