UKRAINIAN president Volodymyr Zelensky has called out his allies for protecting Israel’s air space while his cities are pummelled by Russia.
The fierce leader demanded his country receive the “same level of protection” after the UK, US and Western powers blasted Iran’s missiles and drones out the sky in a steadfast defence of Israel.
EPAVolodymyr Zelensky argued that the Western response to Iran’s missile attack could be repeated in Ukraine[/caption]
ReutersFor over two years, Russia has rained hell down on Ukrainian civilian centres and energy infrastructure – wyhile Ukraine struggles with limited air defences[/caption]
ReutersColonel Hamish de-Bretton Gordon told The Sun ‘Zelensky is absolutely right’ and called on the UK to protect Ukraine’s skies[/caption]
Iran launched over 350 missiles and drones at Israel on Saturday night – 99 per cent were shot down with the help of the US, UK and others
On Saturday night, Iran attacked Israel with a brutal wave of at least 350 ballistic and cruise missiles and drones – the first ever direct attack by Tehran on its enemy.
The US mobilised aircraft and missile defences to assist Israel immediately, while four RAF Typhoons were scrambled to help blast the barrage out the sky.
Israel Defence Forces said France’s military helped monitor the barrage, while Jordan’s military helped shoot down missiles that flew through its airspace.
In total, Israel’s much-celebrated Iron Dome defence system and its allies’ warplanes shot down 99 per cent of the projectiles.
However, last night Zelensky stressed that Ukraine desperately needs the same “unity” shown to Israel in the face of intensifying Russian attacks.
“By defending Israel, the free world has demonstrated that such unity is not only possible, but also one hundred percent effective,” he wrote on Telegram.
“The same is possible in defending Ukraine, which, like Israel, is not a Nato member, from terror.”
He thanked his allies for responding to his call for more air defences, but called for more “political will”.
Colonel Hamish de-Bretton Gordon told The Sun: “I agree with Zelensky absolutely.”
The defence expert said it made little sense that British and American governments shot down drones to prevent civilian casualties in Israel but won’t do the same for Ukraine.
Give us what we need and we will do the rest of the job.
Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign minister
“This has set a precedent,” he argued. “So the UK and I expect European Nato countries should be looking not at how they can support Ukraine.”
“If the West can stop Russia bombing towns and villages and killing civilians in Ukraine, the balance would go back in Ukraine’s favour.”
In his nightly address, Zelensky added that to “protect Ukraine, Nato’s Article 5 isn’t needed, political will suffices.”
EuromaidanPressZelensky last night pushed for ‘unity’ from the West in its protection of Ukraine[/caption]
AFPAn Israeli soldier takes up a position in front of a battery of an Iron Dome air defence system near Jerusalem[/caption]
ReutersA ballistic missile lies on the shore of the Dead Sea after Iran launched a barrage on Saturday night[/caption]
Article 5 is part of the alliance’s treaty that an armed attack against a member nation should be “considered an attack against them all”.
In a swipe at some of Nato countries refusal to supply certain weapons over fears of escalation with Russia, Zelensky said “no one was dragged into the war” after helping Israel.
“They simply contributed to the protection of human life,” the frustrated leader added.
In the wake of Iran’s attack, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba yesterday also called for more Western aid “as soon as possible”
“We see that when allies act as one in a very coordinated way, not a single missile falls on the targets, reaches targets in Israel,” Kuleba said.
“Everything we are asking from partners, even if you cannot act the way you act in Israel, give us what we need and we will do the rest of the job,” he added.
Ukraine has in recent months grown increasingly exasperated at delays in Western aid, which it says are urgently needed to repel deadly Russian attacks.
A multi-billion dollar US aid package has stalled in Congress for months as a result of Republican hardliners.
Analysts have repeatedly warned Ukraine is perilously close to running out of munitions and vital air defence missiles and systems.
In a painful display of Ukraine’s need for weapons, Zelensky today announced Russian forces has destroyed the Trypillia Thermal Power Plant because Ukraine ran out of missiles.
The plant – which is the main power supply to Kyiv and nearby regions – was completely blitzed on April 11 after Russia launched 11 missiles at it and only seven were able to be shot down.
“All of our European neighbours and other partners see Ukraine’s critical need for air defence systems,” he said.
The Ukrainian leader argued that if Russian long-range missile strikes were allowed to continue without a Western response then it “will amount to a global license for terror”.
It comes as former defence secretary Ben Wallace today urged the UK government to use its defence of Israel as a means to secure Israeli support for Ukraine.
Wallace accused Israel of being “absent” from the countries donating weapons and aid to Ukraine.
“If pilots of the RAF are to help protect Israel, then we should expect Israel to help Ukraine with lethal weapons and other assets, because alliances work both ways.”
Writing in The Telegraph, he said he had “pleaded” with Israel’s ambassador in the past but was told Israel “didn’t want to upset Russia”.
However, Wallace argued the only way to deal with Russia and Iran is to hit back twice as hard and not stop until they get the message.”
Colonel de-Bretton Gordon agreed that Nato shouldn’t be scared of hitting back.
He said: “Russia is showing absolutely no signs of taking its foot off the accelerator.
“We just can’t sit back and let it happen.”
Referring to Iran’s strike on Saturday, he said: “The UK destroyed a lot of the Iranian missiles from a great distance. We’re not talking about dogfights… (but) hundreds of miles.
“British jets or British air defence missiles don’t need to be based in Ukraine in order to destroy Russian missiles and drones that are heading to Ukrainian cities.”
“So I would hope that the Minister of defence is now looking exactly how they can do this.”
The retired army officer continued: “The best way to prevent war is to prepare for it.
“By destroying Russian drones and missiles before they can kill people in Ukraine – this is the prevention phase.
“That will mean that we actually don’t have to get our tanks and soldiers on the ground to fight Russians in the future.”
He added: “We we must do everything we can now to prevent complete war in Europe.”
Iran is bracing for a retaliation from Israel after it promised a ‘significant response’
Israel’s Iron Dome hard at work on Saturday as it blasted Iran’s attack out the sky
APVladimir Putin has spent 26 months unleashing constant waves of long-range missiles on Kyiv’s cities and energy infrastructure[/caption]
ReutersThd destroyed and burnt out remains of Trypillia Thermal Power which was hit by Russian hypersonic missiles[/caption]
GettyUkraine said it couldn’t shoot down the projectiles as it had run out of missiles[/caption]