Zelenskyy: If Ukraine has domestic and Western air defence, Kindzhal missiles will not help Moscow

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stressed that Ukraine destroyed the cult around Russian Kindzhal supersonic missiles with which Russia was trying to intimidate not only Ukraine but the whole world for a long time. Source: Zelenskyy during the celebration of the Ukrainian Air Force Day, as cited by the President's website Quote: "This cult has been debunked forever.

Our warriors have clearly proved that if the defenders of life have the Cossack character, our domestic air defense systems, and the air defense systems of our partners, then the terrorists do not stand a chance. No Kinzhal [missile] will help Moscow." Details: During the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian pilots have conducted 14,000 combat flights and shot down over 3,500 Russian aircraft, helicopters and missiles and over 2,000 Russian combat drones.

The president presented members of the Ukrainian Air Force with state awards.

Specifically, he awarded the Zolota Zirka (Gold Star) medal to the families of pilots Mykhailo Matiushenko and Major Yurii Krasylnikov who received the title of the Hero of Ukraine posthumously.

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On 26 June 2022, their crew was chosen as the most experienced one to complete a dangerous task of destroying a Russian anti-aircraft system Pantsir on the Zmiinyi (Snake) Island despite harsh conditions and missile attacks. The soldiers have completed the task but their aircraft was struck by Russian air defence means and fell into the water area of the Black Sea near the Zmiinyi (Snake) Island.

Zelenskyy also awarded the Zolota Zirka of the Hero of Ukraine to Viacheslav Shamko, deputy commander of the Air Force of Ukraine and head of staff. Since the beginning of the Russian armed aggression, he has directly participated in organising the air defence, mainly of the cities of Kyiv, Odesa, Lviv, Dnipro, etc. The highest state award from the president was given to Lieutenant Colonel Rostyslav Lazarenko; he has conducted over 360 combat flights, personally destroyed more than 100 units of Russian military equipment (tanks, armoured vehicles, automotive means, tank trucks of fuels and lubricants) since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion.

Moreover, the President has awarded soldiers of the Ukrainian Air Forces with Bohdan Khmelnytskyi orders For Courage of the I, II and III degree, orders For Courage of II and III degree, Danylo Halytskyi orders, medals For Military Service to Ukraine and For Impeccable Service of III degree. Zelenskyy has also inspected modern weapons and military equipment samples that are in service of the Ukrainian Air Force, talked to soldiers and participated in the cancellation of the Vynyshchuvachi Zla ("Destroyers of Evil") postal set on the Ukrainian Air Force Day. The President has also heard the report on the operation and capacities of the Patriot and IRIS-T systems Ukraine had received from its partners.

Background: Yehor Cherniev, Ukrainian deputy from the Servant of the People party, as well as Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence, said that Ukraine has developed and is testing its own air defence systems.

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