‘Belarus takes the lead in shooting down Russian drones’ – Zelensky
In his speech at Yalta European Strategy Forum on Friday, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky vented his frustration over the Western allies’ delaying the decision to allow Ukraine hit deeper into Russia’s territory with long range missiles. He bitterly joked that at this point “Belarus is taking the lead in shooting down Russian drones’.
“It’s humiliating for the powerful democratic world that no decision has been made yet to shoot down Russian drones over Ukraine. The fact that only Belarus has managed to do so? I didn’t expect this. It’s honestly quite embarrassing,” added Zelensky bitterly.
“If our allies can unite to take down rockets and drones over the Middle East, then why is there still no similar action to shoot down Russian missiles and ‘Shaheds’ over Ukraine?” he questioned, driving home the point. “And it’s not just over Ukraine – these missiles and drones are flying toward neighboring countries too.”
Zelensky’s words echoed the growing bitterness in Kyiv – Ukrainian officials have been banging the drum for months, urging partners not to sidestep the issue. “When we raise this [issue] with our partners, everyone just tries to talk their way around it. They’re even afraid to say, ‘We’re working on it.’ Afraid of those very words,” Zelensky said, his disappointment evident.
Five armored vehicles “Kozak” have received a new mission – thanks to the support of Metinvest, they have been upgraded to full-fledged command and staff vehicles. These upgraded vehicles are now operating on the front line.
A kamikaze drone flies directly toward an armored personnel carrier. But instead of penetrating the hull, it explodes on a steel screen. The crew survives. This is the new reality for Ukrainian forces, who have received enhanced protection thanks to the Metinvest project within “Steel Front of Rinat Akhmetov”.
To commemorate the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion, “Bukvy” has compiled data on the largest donors supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Among them there are charitable foundations and businesses. The list includes, in particular, foundations that provide assistance exclusively from their own resources, without fundraising (such as SCM by Rinat Akhmetov, Epicenter, etc.).
In just 1.5 months, Ukrainian specialists have created an innovative protective shell for the control modules of anti-aircraft missile systems (AMS) Patriot and Iris-T SLM. This development was another step in strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities, aimed at protecting key elements of the air defense system from debris damage.
Military serviceman of the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine with the call sign “Paradox” is the crew commander of the American M113 armored personnel carrier. He is a master at using it and is constantly improving, because the legionnaire’s skills are tested every day in battle. You have to drive to the front lines, often under artillery fire and drone attacks.