President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during Russia’s recent massive attack on Ukrainian territory. In his evening address, the head of state reported that after the shelling, he held a special conference call regarding the situation in the regions, focusing on Kyiv Oblast, which suffered the most damage.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Criticism of the Air Force’s Actions and Command Operations
According to Zelensky, the capital became the main target of the strikes, and in the morning, hits by kamikaze drones ‘Shahed’ on energy facilities in Kyiv Oblast were recorded. The President noted that despite the involvement of a significant number of mobile fire groups, the presence of interceptors, and modern F-16 fighter jets, the organization of the Air Force’s operations requires substantial improvement.
“Kyiv is the most challenging; in the morning, there were hits by ‘Shaheds’ on an energy facility in the region. The brigades are currently working. The Air Force’s performance regarding ‘Shaheds’ is unsatisfactory: there are interceptors, many forces are involved – mobile fire groups, F-16s are available, and the organization of the Air Force’s operations must be different. We discussed this situation separately with the Minister of Defense – conclusions will be drawn,” the head of state stated.
The President emphasized that the situation was analyzed separately together with the Minister of Defense, and based on the results of this meeting, appropriate conclusions will be made to enhance the effectiveness of airspace protection.
Ensuring Air Defense and Support from International Partners
In his address, Zelensky also spoke about communication with the Ukrainian delegation, which included NSDC Secretary Rustem Umerov, Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate Kyrylo Budanov, and the head of the ‘Servant of the People’ faction Davyd Arakhamia. They are actively working with representatives from the United States and European countries to organize meetings and formulate new support packages for Ukraine.
The President underscored the importance of continuously supplying Ukrainian military forces with missiles for air defense, modern weapons, and equipment for restoring damaged infrastructure. Zelensky specifically noted that Ukraine will participate in international formats if they yield real results, rather than just empty political debates.
At the same time, the President stated that the number of missiles for air defense in Ukraine has not increased, while Russia has expanded its arsenal of missiles for attacks.
On the night of January 20, Russian troops carried out a massive shelling of Ukraine. According to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the enemy used one anti-ship missile ‘Zircon’, 18 ballistic and 15 cruise missiles, as well as 339 strike drones, of which about 250 were ‘Shaheds’. The main direction of the attack was aimed at Kyiv Oblast. The Ukrainian air defense neutralized 14 ballistic missiles of the Iskander-M/S-300 type, 13 cruise missiles X-101, and 315 strike UAVs.