‘2024 must become year when Ukraine throws Russia out of its skies’: Zelensky

Published November 23,2023

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday mentioned that subsequent yr should grow to be the yr when his nation throws Russia out of its skies.

“Since 2022, Ukraine has liberated more than half of the land that Russia has occupied. In 2023, Ukraine expelled the Russian fleet from most of the Black Sea. 2024 must become the year when Ukraine throws Russia out of its skies,” Zelensky mentioned in an announcement on X.

In his assertion, Zelensky listed 5 the explanation why strengthening Ukraine’s air protection is the “best strategic security investment,” the primary of which, he mentioned, “saves lives.”

Zelensky additional mentioned the availability of air protection techniques and their use in each main area and metropolis signifies that extra folks can return to the nation from overseas, including that this can enhance Ukraine’s financial system, permit it to scale back its budgetary hole, and scale back Kyiv’s reliance on monetary help from overseas.

“Third, the stronger our air defense, the greater Ukraine’s success in the Black Sea, the more maritime exports, the better protection of freedom of navigation, and the greater stability,” Zelensky mentioned.

He mentioned that this is able to permit Ukraine to ship extra tons of meals by a safer maritime export hall and counter the worldwide meals disaster.

Zelensky additionally mentioned that every extra air protection system and missile saves sources for Ukraine that will in any other case be used to restore destroyed objects, crucial infrastructure, power techniques, energy grids, and so forth.

“Fifth, denying Russia the ability to terrorize Ukraine with missiles and drones will force the aggressor to abandon this tactic, which will help the overall effort to bring victory closer,” he added.

He thanked these strengthening Ukraine’s air protection capabilities, saying Kyiv’s companions are making the “best strategic security investment” and are saving a major quantity of sources in the long term by the availability of such help.