Zelensky pleads for Ukraine ‘air shield’ after Russian onslaught

The president warns Vladimir Putin ‘still has room for further escalation’ after Monday’s bloody missile salvoes.

Forensic officers work to recover the bodies of 55 Ukrainian troops from a mass grave near the recaptured town of Lyman. Picture: AFP

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky called overnight on Tuesday for wealthy Western nations to help Kyiv create an “air shield” after a rash of deadly Russian ­aerial attacks.

Mr Zelensky, who told the G7 that “millions of people would be grateful” for help fending off ­attacks from the sky, warned Russia “still has room for further escalation” after Monday’s bloody missile salvos across Ukraine.

Following the attacks, Washington pledged to up shipments of air defences to Ukraine, while Germany promised delivery “in the coming days” of the first Iris-T missile shield reportedly capable of protecting a city.

In a week of marked escalation in the war, G7 leaders said that ­Belarus’s plan to deploy joint forces with Russia constituted a new instance of “complicity” with Moscow, warning Minsk to “stop enabling” Russia’s invasion. Following talks with Mr Zelensky, G7 leaders said they would hold Russian President Vladimir Putin to account for the attacks, but did not say how.

Before the G7 meeting, the Kremlin had already said it ­expected “confrontation” with the West to continue.

Russia followed up the missile launches at the start of the week with further aerial ­attacks on Tuesday, followed by a strike on a market in the eastern city of Avdiivka on Wednesday that left seven people dead.

US President Joe Biden told CNN on Tuesday that Mr Putin was an otherwise “rational actor” who had “miscalculated significantly” on Russia’s ability to ­occupy Ukraine. He also left open the possibility of talks with Mr Putin on the sidelines of next month’s summit of G20 nations – although he was clear there were no plans for talks on Ukraine.

“Look, I have no intention of meeting with him,” Mr Biden said. But, he added: “If he came to me at the G20 and said ‘I want to talk about the release of (jailed ­American basketball star Brittney) Griner’, I’d meet with him. I mean, it would depend.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier Moscow would not turn down the chance for peace talks between Mr Putin and Mr Biden at the Bali summit. Mr Lavrov said Russia remained open to talks with the US, or with Turkey, but added: “We have not received any serious offers to make contact.”

He said Russia was willing to listen to any suggestions regarding talks, but that he could not say in advance what this process would lead to.

Indonesian diplomats have confirmed that Mr Zelensky and Mr Putin have agreed to attend the G20 summit, causing logistics issues to ensure the delegations from the two countries are kept apart. However it won’t be until the very last minute that either party confirms their attendance.

While Ukraine is not a member of the G20, Indonesia President Joko Widodo had invited Mr Zelensky to the summit as a compromise to appease countries that had objected to Russia’s participation because of its invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Zelensky said after Russia’s missile blitz that he had ruled out any talks with Mr Putin, although it may be possible with another Russian leader. He said only one person was blocking peace “and he is in Moscow”.

Turkey on Tuesday called for a viable ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine “as soon as possible”, with President Recep Tayyip ­Erdogan expected to meet Mr Putin in Kazakhstan this week. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also called for a “just peace” based on Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

Turkey has earned plaudits for brokering deals between the sides, including a grain deal and prisoner swaps.

Officials in Ukraine’s western region of Lviv said at least three Russian missiles fired on Tuesday targeted energy infrastructure, forcing Kyiv to ask people to cut their electricity usage and switch off appliances at night.

Russia’s defence ministry confirmed Tuesday’s renewed ­attacks, saying it had carried out massive strikes using long-range and high-precision weapons, and that “all assigned targets were hit”.

In Lviv, the largest city in the region of the same name, the mayor said that one-third of homes were without power.

Monday’s attacks saw Russian missiles hit the Ukrainian capital Kyiv for the first time in months.

Additional reporting: AFP