Russia has launched hundreds of deadly glide bombs at Ukraine over the last week as Volodymyr Zelensky called for better air defences to fend off aerial attacks.
Zelensky said Russia has fired 800 KAB aerial-guided bombs – winged explosives weighing up to 1,500kg – at Ukraine over the last week.
The KAB – the Ukrainian acronym for guided aerial bomb, are old-fashioned “iron” aerial bombs of the sort that were dropped by bombers during the Second World War and are particularly destructive.
In response, Zelensky said Ukraine needed to improve its air defences to help fend off almost daily aerial attacks launched by Russia.
“Ukraine is not a testing ground for weapons. Ukraine is a sovereign and independent state. But Russia still continues its efforts to kill our people, spread fear and panic, and weaken us,” he said.
Last week, Russia fired an intermediate-range “Oreshnik” ballistic missile at Dnipro, central Ukraine, in response to Kyiv’s use of Western-supplied long-range missiles.
“There is no countermeasure to such a missile, no means of intercepting it, in the world today. And I will emphasise once again that we will continue testing this newest system,” Mr Putin warned.
Glide bombs, missiles and drones: The aerial bombardment raining down on Ukraine’s troops
The Russian glide bombs changing the face of the war in Ukraine
The Russian glide bombs changing the face of the war in Ukraine
Winged explosives weighing up to 1,500 kilograms – and nicknamed the ‘building destroyer’ – have had a devastating impact wherever they have been used, writes Tom Watling. Kyiv is battling them as best it can but needs Western allies to step up and provide more weapons, air defences and ammunition
Russia launches hundreds of deadly glide bombs, Kyiv says
Over the past week, Russia has launched over 800 KAB-guided aerial bombs, nearly 460 attack drones, and more than 20 missiles, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“The air raid siren has sounded almost daily across Ukraine this week. Only last night, our air defence forces managed to shoot down about 50 attack drones,” Zelensky said.
“Ukraine is not a testing ground for weapons. Ukraine is a sovereign and independent state. But Russia still continues its efforts to kill our people, spread fear and panic, and weaken us,” he said.
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Ahead of winter, Russian forces advanced at the fastest rate in Ukraine since the start of the 2022 invasion, though progress was much slower in some areas – particularly around Siversk in the eastern region of Donetsk.
Russian media cited unidentified sources as saying that Colonel General Gennady Anashkin, the commander of the Southern Grouping, had been removed from his command, though there was no official confirmation.
Russian war bloggers have long complained about the command of the operation around Siversk where they said poorly supported Russian units were thrown into deadly battles for little apparent tactical gain.
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Ukraine needs better air defences, Zelensky says
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday Ukraine needs to strengthen its air defences to protect people after its air defence units shot down 50 of 73 Russian drones launched overnight over many regions.
“An air alert has been sounded almost daily across Ukraine this week,” Zelenskiy said on Telegram messenger.
Over the past week Russia used more than 800 guided aerial bombs, about 460 attack drones, and more than 20 missiles of various types, Zelensky said.
“Ukraine is not a testing ground for weapons. Ukraine is a sovereign and independent state. But Russia still continues its efforts to kill our people, spread fear and panic, and weaken us,” he said.
The Ukrainian military said earlier on Sunday that air defence units had destroyed more than 10 Russian drones that were targeting Kyiv in an overnight attack.
Source: independent.co.uk