By Yuliia Dysa and Sergiy Chalyi
ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (Reuters) -President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged Ukraine’s allies on Tuesday to provide 10-12 more Patriot air defence systems that he said would fully protect its skies, after a Russian missile killed at least four people in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has consistently asked its allies to supply more advanced air-defence systems.
Speaking in Kyiv, Zelenskiy signalled his frustration.
“I sometimes do not get it … Everyone understands that an additional 10-12 Patriot systems for Ukraine will ensure life for us and make the war for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin meaningless,” he said after meeting European Parliament officials.
Zelenskiy urged allies to use frozen Russian funds to pay for more Patriots as Ukraine braces for another winter of Russian attacks on its devastated power system.
“Please take the money from Russian assets – 30 billion it will cost. But it will fully close our skies,” he said, without specifying the currency.
Zelenskiy made the comments hours after a Russian missile attack killed four people in Zaporizhzhia, destroying a private clinic and injuring 20 more people, including a child.
“We repeat again and again that air defences should save lives, not gather dust at storage bases,” he said.
‘PLEASE HELP’
In Zaporizhzhia, rescuers worked in piles of rubble from the collapsed building as at least six people were trapped, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said on the Telegram messaging app.
Anna Zubchenko, a 26-year-old ophthalmologist, was working in her office when the attack happened.
“The ceiling just collapsed onto my head. Another doctor was with me, she was hit harder. Once I dug myself out I started shouting ‘please help'”, Zubchenko said.
She helped to partially dig out her colleague who was later evacuated by rescuers.
Russia regularly carries out airstrikes on Zaporizhzhia and the surrounding region. On Friday, an attack on the city killed 10 people and wounded more than 20.
On Tuesday, the International Atomic Energy Agency said a drone attack had severely damaged its official vehicle heading to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in a Russian-occupied part of the region.
No one was injured and workers are safe, according to the agency’s chief Rafael Grossi.
Zelenskiy said the drone was Russian. There was no immediate comment from Moscow.
“This attack clearly demonstrated how Russia treats anything related to international law, global institutions, and safety. The Russians could not have been unaware of their target; they knew exactly what they were doing and acted deliberately,” Zelenskiy said on social media.
(Reporting by Sergiy Chalyi in Zaporizhzhia and Yuliia Dysa in Gdansk, Editing by Timothy Heritage, William Maclean and Rod Nickel)
