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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on European countries to start creating an "air defense umbrella" after Russia again bombed the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhia, injuring at least 13 people, including two children.
In a social media post on September 16, Zelensky said Russian missiles "deliberately struck to terrorize our people," damaging "many residential buildings."
He added that since the beginning of September, Moscow has launched over 3,500 drones and nearly 190 missiles, as well as over 2,500 aerial bombs, against targets inside Ukraine and carried out "provocations against our partners."
"This is exactly the kind of air terror against which Ukraine seeks common defense - so that no one is forced to hastily raise fighter jets and feel Russia's pressure on its borders," Zelensky wrote.
"Now is the time to implement the common defense of the European sky with a multiple air defense system. All the technologies for this already exist. What is needed are investments and determination - strong actions and decisions from all our partners."
The issue of neutralizing Russian drones, which have increased significantly during more than three years of war, has received new attention after over a dozen Russian drones penetrated Poland last week, while another violation of NATO airspace was recorded in Romania.
In her annual “State of the Union” address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed the need for increased drone protection, announcing a €6 billion loan to join a “drone alliance” with Ukraine.
She also suggested an initiative called "Eastern Flank Watch," which would provide "real-time spatial surveillance" from the Baltic to the Black Sea.
Von der Leyen also pledged to build a "drone wall" - something her Commission had refused to fund earlier this year, when Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania requested funding for such a project.
The details of this initiative remain unclear: there are no concrete figures for the budget, nor an exact geographical scope, except for the fact that the European Commission is expected to present a new plan for joint defense projects in October.
"In these border states we should create a 'drone wall' together with Ukraine and include it in this project," European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, told the Ukrainian agency Ukrinform on September 15.
Earlier, on September 16, Zelensky said in an interview with Sky News that a "clear position" is needed from US President Donald Trump on sanctions against Russia and security guarantees for Ukraine.
He called on Trump, who is embarking on an official visit to Britain, to take "strong personal steps" to "stop Putin."
"I believe that the US is strong enough to make its own decisions... I believe that Donald Trump can provide us with air defense systems in quantity, and the US has enough," Zelensky said.
"I am convinced that the US can impose sanctions sufficient to damage the Russian economy, and that Donald Trump has the strength to make Putin fear him. Europe has already adopted 18 sanctions packages against Russia. What is missing now is a strong sanctions package from the US."
EU officials said on September 16 that the 19th package of sanctions against Russia will be delayed, after Trump demanded that Europe stop buying Russian oil and gas sooner.
Washington announced that it would postpone imposing additional tariffs on countries like China to stop buying Russian oil.
The new EU measures against Russia, due to its all-out aggression against Ukraine, are expected to target more banks, the Kremlin's so-called "shadow fleet" that transports oil to evade sanctions, third-country companies, as well as some individuals, especially those considered responsible for the abduction of Ukrainian children./ REL
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