Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended the European Union summit in Brussels on Thursday, expressing gratitude to EU members for a long-term security agreement they were expected to sign. He also urged the prompt delivery of promised military aid packages.
During a press availability with European Council President Charles Michel, Zelenskyy emphasized the urgency of Ukraine’s battlefield needs, particularly air defenses. He thanked the EU and the Group of Seven nations for pledging to use approximately $50 billion in frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine’s war effort.
Ahead of the meeting, Zelenskyy posted a statement on his official X account, indicating his expectation to sign a total of three security agreements with EU member nations, including one with the EU as a whole.
“For the first time, this agreement will enshrine the commitment of all 27 Member States to provide Ukraine with extensive support, regardless of any internal institutional changes,” he said.
Referring to Ukraine’s EU accession talks, which began this week, he added, “Each step we take brings us closer to our historic goal of peace and prosperity in our common European home.”
Aerial attacks
Meanwhile, Ukraine said Thursday it thwarted nearly all of Russia’s overnight aerial attacks, with Ukrainian air defenses shooting down five Russian missiles and 23 drones.
The Ukrainian air force said Russian forces fired a total of six missiles at Ukraine, but did not specify the targets of the attacks.
Reports from regional officials showed Russia directed missiles and drones at parts of southern Ukraine.
Vitaliy Kim, governor of the Mykolaiv region, reported on Telegram that Ukrainian air defenses shot down six aerial drones and three cruise missiles.
In Kherson, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram that Ukrainian forces shot down two drones.
Air defenses shot down another drone over the Dnipropetrovsk region, the governor there said on Telegram.
Russia’s defense ministry said its forces downed four Ukrainian aerial drones over the Tver region, northwest of Moscow, as well as two drones over the Moscow region and another over Belgorod.
Ukraine frequently targets Belgorod, which is located along the Russia-Ukraine border, with attacks against areas such as Moscow and Tver occurring more rarely.
