Partners must transfer systems capable of intercepting Oreshnik to Ukraine - MFA

Ukraine's partners "should respond to Russian blackmail by transferring air defense systems capable of shooting down medium-range ballistic missiles such as Oreshnik.

This was stated by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga.

"Russia's use of an intermediate-range ballistic missile is a typical blackmail. Putin is trying to intimidate everyone who supports Ukraine," he wrote.

According to Sibiga, "Ukraine's partners should do the opposite: reject blackmail, increase support and strengthen Ukraine's air shield with systems capable of intercepting such missiles."

On November 21, Russia fired an Oreshnik ballistic missile from the Kedr complex on the Dnipro River. The flight time of the missile from the moment it was launched from the Astrakhan region to the moment it hit the Dnipro River was 15 minutes. The missile was equipped with six warheads, each of which was armed with six submunitions. The speed on the final section of the trajectory was more than Mach 11, or 13.585 km/h.

Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkänen said that NATO and the European Union must step up their game to defend themselves against hybrid threats and protect undersea cables from attack.

"NATO and the EU need to do much more to protect this critical infrastructure," Hakkänen told Politico after the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, adding that the topic was discussed during the meeting.

On Tuesday, November 26, an emergency meeting between Ukraine and NATO is to be held due to Russia's use of a new ballistic missile to strike the Dnipro River. According to Andriy Sybiga, the main issue at the meeting will be strengthening Ukraine's air defense.

"We will raise the issue of limiting Russia's ability to produce this type of weapon and reducing the capabilities of the Russian defense industry, which continues to grow despite all the sanctions. This is a fact," he said.

Mr. Sibiga emphasized that Ukraine hopes for concrete and meaningful results after the meeting.

Олеся Ланцман