Zelenskyy hopes for security guarantees plan in looming US talks

AIR DEFENCE DEPLETED

Zelenskyy also conceded problems with Ukrainian air defence systems at a critical moment in the war.

Some air defence systems supplied to Ukraine by Western allies had run out of ammunition amid a wave of Russian attacks that have devastated his country’s energy infrastructure, he said.

Kyiv says more than 15,000 energy workers are racing in sub-zero temperatures to restore power plants and substations battered over recent days by hundreds of Russian drones and missiles.

Zelenskyy has repeatedly called on allies to beef up Ukraine’s air defence systems to shield vital civilian infrastructure facilities from daily Russian bombardments.

“Until this morning we had several systems without missiles. Today I can say this openly because today I have those missiles,” Zelenskyy told a press conference in Kyiv.

The attacks have spurred urgent humanitarian concerns, with millions of Ukrainians suffering long periods without electricity and heating during a cold snap where temperatures have dropped to -20C in some parts of the country.

The Kremlin claims its forces only target military facilities.

When it has bombed Ukrainian power plants in previous years, it has blamed civilians’ hardships on Kyiv and its refusal to accept Russian peace demands.