In his address on 7 June, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported on the heavy shelling of Kharkiv, emphasised the critical need to strengthen air defence and called on partners to act more decisively in putting pressure on Russia.
According to the President, Russian troops have been conducting massive strikes on Kharkiv throughout the day. During the day, the occupiers dropped bombs on the city, and the night before they attacked with drones. The shelling resulted in deaths and dozens of injuries. Zelenskyy expressed condolences to the families of the victims.
‘These are not retaliatory strikes – these are strikes of destruction,’ he stressed. The President added that in the occupied territories, Russia cares only about military infrastructure and the removal of valuables.
The Head of State thanked all the partners who support Ukraine and stressed that no format of pressure on Russia should be weakened. This is especially true of sanctions against Russian oil and companies that still cooperate with Russia.
Zelenskyy also spoke about strengthening air defence. According to him, Ukraine is still waiting for a response from the United States on the purchase of air defence systems. The President expressed gratitude to European countries for their assistance and called for accelerating the joint production of air defence systems and missiles.
He also informed that over the past week, Ukrainian soldiers had destroyed three Iskander systems, shot down a Su-35 aircraft and damaged several Russian helicopters. Logistics facilities and airfields were also hit.
Zelenskyy stressed that only increased pressure could force Russia to agree to real negotiations. According to him, the upcoming international summits, including those of the Group of Seven and NATO, should play an important role in this.