Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has revealed that Western-supplied F-16 fighter jets have been used to intercept Russian missiles and drones, and appealed for more of the aircraft.
Russia launched massive missile-and-drone attacks on Ukraine from Monday through Tuesday.
The attacks have brought consequences on the daily lives of Ukrainians. On Wednesday, Ukraine’s power company announced an emergency blackout in the capital Kyiv.
Zelenskyy said in a news conference on Tuesday that the F-16s have been effective, revealing that the aircraft whose delivery to Ukraine was disclosed on August 4 are already being used for air defense.
But Zelenskyy added there are too few of the fighter jets.
Meanwhile, cross border attacks from Ukraine are continuing.
The governor of Russia’s southern region of Rostov, which borders on Ukraine, said on Wednesday that a drone attack triggered a fire at a fuel storage facility.
Another oil depot in Rostov was set ablaze by a drone attack on August 18.
The US think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, said on Tuesday that the recent rate of Russian advance toward Pokrovsk in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk has been “relatively rapid,” suggesting that Russia forces are stepping up their offensive in eastern Ukraine.