Ukraine needs powerful air and missile defense systems to protect ports – Humeniuk

"We really need systems that will be able to destroy at a long distance the mere Russians’ plans regarding the destruction of this direction – both the grain and port infrastructure, and the global grain initiative in general. [We need] long-range weapons, missiles of this class that can reach missile carriers which are now located in the so-called missile-safe area, closer to Novorossiysk. And we also need air and missile defense systems which will provide the protective dome for the entire infrastructure in the immediate vicinity of the ports," Natalia Humeniuk, the head of the joint press center of the Operational Command "South", said during the United News telethon, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

She expressed hope that the international community understands that the enemy will not stop at the acts already done, as well as the threats and previous warnings about port infrastructure in the south. "We announced and emphasized the fact that we need more powerful protection against such types of damage, taking into account the characteristics of those missiles that the enemy uses in such attacks. So, we need air and missile defense systems against supersonic missiles. And they should work not only for the protection of the residents of Odesa, the south, or Ukraine. They should work to protect the prospects of the navigation in the Black Sea because the port infrastructure of the south of Ukraine is a quite powerful sector of the water area which is linked with navigation," Humeniuk stressed.

The head of the joint press center of the Operational Command "South" commented on the threats made by Russian warships against civilian vessels passing near the seaports of Ukraine and the real possibilities of the enemy to attack. "One of the attacks was aimed at the Danube ports in general – this was a message from the Russians that they are capable of resorting to the most profound provocations, the most profound pressure, fire military pressure on the economic activity of Ukraine, on the activity of the grain initiative. Therefore, we need strong support at the diplomatic level in addition to strengthening our security component. I will remind everyone, when the grain agreement was working, the security guarantors were the UN and Türkiye, and the security component was provided by the security forces of Ukraine," Humeniuk said.