Melnyk urges allies to urgently provide Ukraine with air defence systems
Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Andriy Melnyk, called on allies to immediately deliver available air defence systems from their stockpiles to protect civilians in Ukraine.
He made the statement during a UN Security Council meeting in New York, according to a correspondent from Ukrinform.
Melnyk emphasized that Ukraine also needs long-range weapons, which are crucial for minimizing future Russian attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure.
Additionally, he urged allies to strengthen sanctions against Moscow, specifically targeting the so-called “shadow fleet”, which allows the Kremlin to bypass restrictions and finance the war through energy exports.
According to Melnyk, Russia deliberately waited for the severe winter cold to carry out massive strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, leaving millions of Ukrainians “on the verge of freezing.”
He compared this tactic to “shameful precedents in human history,” where dictatorial regimes used cold, hunger, and darkness as weapons against civilians.
Ukraine continues to demand concrete action from the UN Security Council following the “Oreshnik” missile strike. The UN also rejected Russia’s attempt to block funding for human rights resolutions.
