“Next year the enemy will suffer from the destruction of our domestic production,” said Zelenskiy, guaranteeing that Ukraine will have a million drones in its arsenal by 2024.
The televised speech was framed by images of Ukrainian artillery and fighter planes.
Ukraine will have “one million” additional drones in its arsenal next year, as well as F-16 fighter jets supplied by its Western partners, Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president’s New Year’s message comes less than 72 hours after Moscow attacked Ukrainian cities with several missiles and drones, killing 39 in one of the largest air strikes since the start of the war.
“Our pilots have already mastered the F-16s and it is certain that we will soon see them in our airspace,” the Ukrainian head of state stated, adding: “In this way, our enemies will know our anger.”
Zelensky also urged his Western allies to maintain their support for Ukraine, at a time when signs of fatigue over the conflict are increasingly emerging.
“The Ukrainians are stronger than all conspiracies, all attempts to reduce global solidarity, to sabotage the coalition of our allies,” Zelensky warned.
Despite Western military aid totaling billions of dollars, Ukraine has failed to make significant progress in its counteroffensive against Russian forces in the summer of 2023.
Since then, Moscow has increased pressure along the front lines, capturing the town of Marinka in early December and attempting to gain control of Kupiansk in the country’s northeast.
The military offensive that Russia launched in Ukraine on February 24, 2022 caused the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War II (1939-1945), according to the most recent UN data.
The Russian invasion – justified by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia’s security – was condemned by most of the international community, which responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and impose political and economic sanctions on Russia.
Source: DN
