Zelensky urges US to act on Ukraine’s request to buy air defenses after deadly Kharkiv bombing
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 7 that Russian forces continued to brutally bomb Kharkiv, targeting the city “throughout the day” with both drones and guided aerial bombs. Two people were killed and at least 18 injured following what Zelensky called “a brutal strike on the city in broad daylight.”
“These Russian strikes are not ‘retaliation’ but acts of destruction,” the president added.
On June 6, U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to justify Russia’s large-scale attack on Ukrainian cities launched the night before, in response to Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb. He said earlier that Russia’s response to Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb is likely “not going to be pretty."
“They gave (Russian President Vladimir) Putin a reason to go in and bomb the hell out of them last night,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
Zelensky stressed that Russia’s goal is the complete erasure of life in Ukraine and reiterated that in all occupied territories, Russia has shown its true intent — building only military infrastructure and looting anything of value. “In more than 11 years of war, Russia has brought only one new thing to our land — ruins and death,” he said.
Zelensky highlighted Ukraine’s urgent need for air defense and appealed specifically to the United States: “We still await a response to our proposal to purchase systems that can help. We need concrete signals, not words.” He thanked European countries for their support and underlined the need for joint production of air defense systems and missiles, noting this is essential not only for Ukraine but for all of Europe.
He also renewed calls for increased international pressure, saying that “no form of pressure on Russia can be eased.” Zelensky warned that Moscow continues to prepare for war and ignores every peace proposal: “They must be held accountable."
Reporting on recent military updates, Zelensky said Ukrainian forces destroyed three Russian Iskander missile launchers used to strike Ukrainian communities. He also confirmed the downing of a Su-35 fighter jet, damage to Russian helicopters, and new strikes against Russian military logistics and airfields. “Every complication for Russia matters for our defense,” he said.
The Kyiv IndependentDaria Shulzhenko