President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday evening that Ukraine would adjust its air defense strategy to counter new Russian drone tactics.
In his evening address, Zelensky noted that Russia is now targeting Ukraine’s logistics, including railways and water supply, and emphasized that adjustments are needed to better protect them.
“Today… it is not the first time that we have discussed with representatives of the regions the new Russian tactics of massive strikes,” he said. “When logistics facilities are increasingly becoming targets, first of all the railway, but also facilities that work on water supply.”
Zelensky said officials have “received the necessary tasks” to counter the threats – particularly those along the border in the Sumy and Chernihiv regions – though he did not specify what those efforts entail.
“Air defense, the Ministry of Defense, and government structures have also received the necessary tasks… The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, together with our military, must also strengthen protection against Russian drones in border areas, where there are more and more attacks against civilian vehicles, against rescuers, and against our repair teams,” he added.
In late January, Ukraine documented seven drone attacks on its railway infrastructure within 24 hours as part of what it called Russia’s escalating campaign against its rail network.
The announcement came just days after a Russian attack on a civilian passenger train in the Kharkiv region, which killed five people and injured two more.
National carrier Ukrzaliznytsia subsequently announced that it would hide the exact schedules and routes of some intercity trains to make it more difficult for Russian kamikaze drones to attack them.
In his address, Zelensky also spoke about Sunday’s terrorist bombing in western Ukraine’s Lviv, which killed one police officer and injured 25. He said the suspect was recruited via Telegram and that Moscow was behind the attack, adding that Kyiv “[has] intelligence that the Russians are going to continue to do such things.”