Zelensky: Ukraine Needs More Air Defense to Protect Grain Exports

Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, stated on Saturday, December 4, during a speech at the International Food Security Conference in Kyiv, that Ukraine needs more air defense to protect its grain export routes and defend areas bordering Russia. According to Reuters, Mr. Zelensky made these remarks at the 'Grains from Ukraine' conference, which was attended by senior officials from European countries, including Alain Berset, the President of Switzerland, and Ingrida Simonyte, the Prime Minister of Lithuania. He said, 'There is a shortage of air defense, and this is no secret.' Zelensky's speech followed a Russian drone attack on Kyiv in the early hours of Saturday, which involved 75 drones and was described by Ukrainian officials as the largest drone attack by Russia since the beginning of the war. He also mentioned that his foreign partners would provide ships to Ukraine to ensure the security of cargo ship convoys from the country's ports. The Ukrainian President expressed hope that Kyiv would address its air defense shortages through new shipments from its partners and by increasing domestic production capacity, which he noted has seen advancements in this area.