Ukraine calls on partners to strengthen air shield over south - PM Shmyhal

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal called on international partners to help Ukraine strengthen its air defenses in the southern regions.

He said this at the government meeting on Tuesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Russia is a threat to all states in the Black Sea region. We call on our partners to strengthen the air shield over the south of Ukraine," Shmyhal noted.

He emphasized that Russia has been terrorizing the southern regions of Ukraine for more than a week. According to him, the aggressor’s goal is to intimidate people, destroy Ukrainian port infrastructure, cause maximum damage to Ukrainian agricultural exports, and provoke a global food crisis.

The head of government recalled, in particular, that at least 28 architectural monuments were damaged in Odesa, but the assessment of the damage caused by the Russians is ongoing and the conclusions of the UNESCO commission, which will deploy in the city, are yet to be published.

"The enemy will definitely pay for everything, and we will definitely rebuild Odesa and other cities and villages across our Ukraine," the Prime Minister is convinced.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Russia has been shelling southern Ukraine every day recently. Overnight Sunday, July 23, Russian troops launched a massive attack on the territory of Odesa and the surrounding region. The invaders fired 19 missiles of various types. The strike hit the historic center of Odesa, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Photo: Denys Shmyhal/Telegram