KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Ukraine has recently received additional U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated will help counter the daily Russian attacks during nighttime operations. The latest assault by Russian drones resulted in the death of a man and injuries to five family members, including two children, in Ukraine.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago, relentless bombardments have targeted urban regions, causing the deaths of thousands of civilians. Russia has been strategically targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure to deprive civilians of heating and running water throughout the winter months, as well as to disrupt the production of Ukraine's newly developed drones and missiles.

President Zelenskyy noted that the sophisticated Patriot systems are currently the most effective defense against Russian missiles. He has consistently urged Western allies to provide more systems, though production limitations and the necessity to maintain stockpiles have delayed their delivery. “More Patriots are now in Ukraine and being put into operation,” he announced on social media. He further emphasized the urgent need for additional systems to safeguard critical infrastructure and urban areas across the nation.

Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to Germany, particularly to Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who confirmed that the country would deliver two more U.S.-made Patriot systems, a move contingent upon U.S. assurances to replenish Germany’s stocks. Germany has been the largest donor of Patriot systems from its own military resources to Ukraine, according to the German Defense Ministry. Additionally, Germany has supplied shorter-range air defense systems, including IRIS-T and Skynex.

The NATO alliance is facilitating regular deliveries of large arms packages to Ukraine, with European nations and Canada procuring most of the equipment from the United States. Unlike the previous Biden administration, the Trump administration has not made any arms deliveries to Ukraine.

During a recent briefing, Zelenskyy discussed the possibility of additional support for Ukraine's energy sector during a call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. He indicated that efforts are underway to secure the necessary amount for gas imports and reported von der Leyen’s promise of further assistance.

On the battlefield, Zelenskyy mentioned the Ukrainian military's ongoing engagement with several hundred Russian troops who infiltrated the eastern stronghold of Pokrovsk, as well as another group of about 60 Russian soldiers in Kupiansk. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted that Moscow's forces had blockaded both regions, claims that Kyiv has denied.

Zelenskyy revealed that Ukraine is increasing its production of interceptor drones to mitigate Russian aerial assaults, aiming for a daily output of 600 to 800 drones by the end of the month. He also claimed that Ukraine is producing twice the number of sea drones it uses, indicating its potential capacity to export some of them.

Overnight from Sunday to Monday, Russia launched 12 missiles of various types and 138 drones at Ukraine, as reported by Ukraine's air force. Some nights have seen the launch of hundreds of drones and missiles targeting Ukraine. In the northeastern Sumy region, Russian drone attacks resulted in the death of one man and injuries to five family members, along with separate injuries to two women in another attack.

The regional head, Oleh Hryhorov, condemned the Russian attacks, stating, “The Russians cynically targeted people – deliberately, at night, while they were sleeping.” Additionally, Russian missiles caused a fire at a business in Dnipro and struck energy infrastructure in the southern Mykolaiv region.

In response to the ongoing conflict, Ukraine is working to constrain Russia’s oil industry, a significant part of its economy. Ukrainian forces reportedly struck the Saratov oil refinery overnight, initiating a fire. This marks Ukraine’s fourth attack on this facility in roughly seven weeks, with the refinery located around 500 kilometers (about 300 miles) from the Ukrainian border capable of processing millions of metric tons of oil annually. Zelenskyy has noted that recent long-range strikes on Russian refineries have successfully reduced Moscow's oil refining capacity by approximately 20%.

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Stefanie Dazio in Berlin contributed to this report.

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