Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that, according to intelligence data, Russia is preparing new ballistic missile strikes against the territory of Ukraine, and the country needs additional air defense forces and capabilities to counter them. The head of state announced this in his evening address on Thursday, October 29, RBC-Ukraine reports, citing his Telegram channel.
Intelligence Warns of New Strikes Preparation
"Right now, there is information from intelligence about the Russians preparing new ballistic strikes. And we need forces to shoot down all this Russian evil," Zelenskyy emphasized. According to him, the Ukrainian side is already expecting relevant decisions from international partners to strengthen air defense. The President also thanked everyone who is truly helping Ukraine during this period.
Sanctions Pressure and Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff Tasks
As specified by the "Hвиля" publication, the statement was made following a meeting of the Staff, where countering Russian ballistics became the main issue. Zelenskyy noted that sanctions pressure on Russia's missile production is currently insufficient: "Sanctions pressure is insufficient, and we need packages from partners that we discussed with them." According to his assessment, sanctions are acting slowly, and while they are delayed, Russia continues to receive what is necessary for missile production. At the Staff meeting, the president added, additional tasks for long-range strikes on Russian territory were also determined.
Diplomatic Track and Potential Negotiations
Against the backdrop of the threat of new strikes, Ukraine continues diplomatic work with international partners. Earlier, the head of state stated that the country expects the US to agree on the exact date of a trilateral meeting on ending the war; peace talks involving partners could take place in early November. Separately, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha spoke about the Kremlin's attempts to lure Zelenskyy to Moscow for negotiations with Vladimir Putin, noting that such invitations should not be taken seriously.
AFU Strikes on Russian Targets
On the same evening, October 29, Zelenskyy announced that the Ukrainian military had hit a launcher of the Russian Iskander system with a missile strike, NV reports. Thus, Kyiv confirms both its defensive needs and active actions to destroy strike weapons on the territory of the Russian Federation.
