President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in the interview for PBS published on 16 April that Russian forces managed to destroy the Trypilska thermal power plant because Ukraine had completely run out of missiles for the air defense systems protecting the facility.
Russian forces hit the Trypilska thermoelectric power plant on 11 April with five Kh-69 missiles. There were no casualties, but Centrenergo clarified later that the attack had completely destroyed the Trypillia TPP. The Trypilska TPP in Kyiv Oblast was a significant 1800 MW power station that utilized coal and gas-oil units alongside turbines and generators.
“Some 11 missiles were flying at the Trypilska TPP. Ukraine’s air defenses destroyed the first seven, and four destroyed the Trypilska TPP. Why? Because we had zero missiles left. We ran out of all the missiles protecting the Trypilska TPP,” Zelenskyy provided an example.
President also commented on the joint defense of Israel by allies who repelled an Iranian attack last weekend. According to the president, Israel alone could not have defended itself against such a massive strike from Iran. “A lot was used that Ukraine lacks…This is really a demonstration of what allies are not just on paper, but in the sky,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Ukraine defends its skies independently.
Zelenskyy said after a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Headquarters that Western countries could help Ukraine defend itself against Russian attacks in the same way they assisted Israel during the Iranian strikes.
The White House announced that the US had refused any combat involvement in the war in Ukraine and, therefore, will not shoot down Iranian drones launched by Russian forces as they did in Israel.
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