Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a celebration of the Day of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in unknown location, Ukraine August 6, 2023.  Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS
Ukraine

Zelenskiy praises US-German defense systems in Ukraine

Ukraine is seeing "significant results" thanks to U.S. Patriot and German IRIS-T defence systems, despite dozens of attacks by Russia over the past week, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine is seeing "significant results" thanks to U.S. Patriot and German IRIS-T defence systems, despite dozens of attacks by Russia over the past week, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address on Sunday.

Zelenskiy said he had received a report on the use of advanced air defence systems received from partners, noting the Raytheon-built Patriot and Germany's IRIS-T systems.

"These are powerful systems, highly effective," he said. "They have already yielded significant results, and not only for Ukraine."

He said this was because whenever Russian missiles were destroyed, "it reassures the world that a terrorist state is unable to break our collective security."

Zelenskiy said Ukraine had shot down "a significant part" of Russia's attacks over the past week, including 65 missiles of various kinds, and 178 assault drones, including 87 Shaheds.

(Reporting by Oleksandr Kozhukhar in Kyiv and Elaine Monaghan in Washington; Writing by Elaine Monaghan; Editing by Leslie Adler)

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