President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that today Ukraine needs to strengthen its air defense both at the front and to enhance the protection of people in rear cities and communities. He said this during an online conversation with participants of the annual Swedish national conference "Society and Defense," which is one of the most important events in Northern Europe in the field of security and defense.
According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the situation at the front today is quite stable, although Russia continues to amass its troops and loses a lot of soldiers in "human wave attacks."
At the same time, the President of Ukraine noted that Ukrainian troops at the front need air defense systems to deprive the enemy of the ability to control the sky and launch air strikes on Ukrainian positions.
"There is a lack of air defense both on the battlefield and for the defense of Ukrainian cities across the country. There were 500 strikes within a few days. Yes, we managed to repel most of them thanks to the help of our partners - more than 70%. But this is not enough. If Russia loses control of the sky, it will lose all its power on the battlefield. They have no other power: we do not see it," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The annual national conference "Society and Defense," which will take place in Sälen on January 7-9, 2024, is considered the most prestigious in Sweden and is one of the most important public events in Northern Europe in the field of security and defense, widely covered by the Swedish and European media.
Keynote speakers at the conference include prime ministers, defense ministers, foreign ministers and other government representatives, supreme commanders, senior officials of civil society organizations, international intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as renowned experts and opinion leaders.