Zelenskyy seeks US Patriot systems against Russia’s power grid attacks

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday he wants to order 25 Patriot air defense systems from the United States, as Ukraine desperately tries to fend off relentless Russian aerial attacks that have brought rolling blackouts across Ukraine on the brink of winter.

Zelenskyy acknowledged that the Patriot systems are expensive and that such a large batch could take years to manufacture. But he said European countries could give their Patriots to Ukraine and await replacements, stressing that “we would not like to wait.”

Combined missile and drone strikes on the power grid have coincided with Ukraine’s frantic efforts to hold back a Russian battlefield push aimed at capturing the eastern stronghold of Pokrovsk. Meanwhile, international peace efforts appear to have dissipated, nearly four years after Russia invaded its neighbor.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine recently received more Patriot systems from Germany. It is not known how many Patriot systems are in Ukraine. But on the whole air defenses remain stretched thin across wide expanses of Ukrainian territory, and the threat to the provision of heating and running water in the bitter winter is acute.

NATO is coordinating regular deliveries of large weapons packages to Ukraine. European allies and Canada are buying much of the equipment from the United States. The Trump administration is not giving any arms to Ukraine, unlike the previous Biden administration.

Russia’s attacks on energy infrastructure have grown more effective. It launches hundreds of drones, some equipped with cameras to improve targeting, that overwhelm Ukraine’s air defenses, especially in regions where protection is weaker. Also, this year it is striking region by region, hitting local switchyards and substations, instead of taking aim at the centralized national grid.

Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said Monday that Russian attacks caused more damage to its power infrastructure, resulting in scheduled blackouts in most of the country’s regions. It urged Ukrainians to rationalize their use of electricity, especially during peak consumption hours in the mornings and evenings.

Meanwhile, the two sides were locked in a battle for control of Pokrovsk, in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region where Zelenskyy says Russia has assembled 170,000 troops for a renewed push.

There has been a relative lull in fighting in recent days, according to reports gathered by the Institute for the Study of War. But the Washington-based think tank said it expected Russian forces to quicken the tempo of their attacks in coming days as they move more troops into the city.

乌克兰基辅（美联社）——乌克兰总统泽连斯基周一表示，他希望从美国订购 25 套“爱国者”防空系统。乌克兰正竭力抵御俄罗斯持续不断的空袭，这些空袭已导致乌克兰在冬季来临之际遭遇轮流停电。

泽连斯基承认“爱国者”导弹系统造价昂贵，如此大批量的生产可能需要数年时间。但他表示，欧洲国家可以把自己的“爱国者”导弹系统提供给乌克兰，然后等待替换，并强调“我们不想等待”。

乌克兰正竭力阻止俄罗斯在战场上攻占东部据点波克罗夫斯克，与此同时，俄罗斯对乌克兰电网发动了导弹和无人机联合袭击。而就在俄罗斯入侵邻国近四年后，国际社会为维护和平所做的努力似乎已经瓦解。

泽连斯基表示，乌克兰最近从德国接收了更多“爱国者”导弹系统。目前尚不清楚乌克兰境内究竟有多少套“爱国者”导弹系统。但总体而言，乌克兰广袤的国土上防空力量仍然捉襟见肘，严冬期间供暖和自来水供应面临严峻威胁。

北约正在协调定期向乌克兰运送大量武器装备。欧洲盟国和加拿大则从美国购买了大部分装备。与前任拜登政府不同，特朗普政府没有向乌克兰提供任何武器。

俄罗斯对能源基础设施的攻击日益有效。它出动数百架无人机，其中一些配备摄像头以提高瞄准精度，这些无人机突破了乌克兰的防空系统，尤其是在防御薄弱的地区。此外，今年俄罗斯采取了分区域攻击的策略，袭击当地的开关站和变电站，而不是像以往那样直接攻击集中式的国家电网。

乌克兰能源部周一表示，俄罗斯的袭击对乌克兰电力基础设施造成了进一步破坏，导致该国大部分地区实施计划内停电。能源部敦促乌克兰民众合理用电，尤其是在早晚用电高峰时段。

与此同时，双方在乌克兰东部顿涅茨克地区的波克罗夫斯克展开争夺，泽连斯基称俄罗斯已在该地区集结了 17 万军队，准备再次发动攻势。

据战争研究所收集的报告显示，近几日战斗相对平静。但这家位于华盛顿的智库表示，随着更多兵力进入该市，预计俄军将在未来几天加快进攻节奏。