US Ambassador to Ukraine reacts to Russian ballistic strikes on Odesa
US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink (photo: Getty Images)
US Ambassador Bridget Brink stated that the recent Russian ballistic missile attacks on Odesa underscore the importance of strengthening Ukraine’s air defense, according to the diplomat’s social media page.
She reminded that last night there was another horrific Russian shelling of Odesa with ballistic missiles, resulting in a hit on a warehouse that ships goods across Ukraine, injuring 13 people.
“This underscores again the importance of air defense to Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russia’s brutal attacks,” Brink wrote.
Tonight, another terrible Russian attack on Odesa with ballistic missiles, hitting a warehouse that send goods across Ukraine and injuring 13 people.This underscores again the importance of air defense to Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russia’s brutal attacks. pic.twitter.com/4OnhoiJrE5
— Ambassador Bridget A. Brink (@USAmbKyiv) May 1, 2024
Russian missile strikes on Odesa
Over the past few weeks, the Russian military has been attacking Odesa almost daily with ballistic missiles, for which the region lacks air defense systems.
Late on May 1, explosions were heard in the city during an air raid alert due to the threat of ballistic missile use.
The Russians targeted a sorting depot and a branch of the company Nova Poshta. A strong fire broke out at the site of impact.
According to the latest reports, 14 people were injured as a result of the attack.
Western air defense systems for Ukraine
As of today, there are only two anti-aircraft missile systems in the world capable of accurately and effectively shooting down ballistic missiles – the Patriot and the SAMP/T. Since March 2023, Ukraine has received several Patriot and SAMP/T batteries from Western partners, which have been deployed to protect Kyiv.
However, other regional centres in the country are not protected by such systems, which prevents the Ukrainian Air Force from shooting down Russian ballistic missiles.
Recently, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of transferring additional Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine. The Air Force has stated that to fully cover regional centres and larger areas of regions, Ukraine needs no fewer than 24 Patriot or SAMP/T systems.
Germany and other partner countries have identified 6 Patriot systems that could be transferred to our country.
Spain has announced a new package of military assistance, which will include missiles for the Patriot air defense system.