The West supplied Ukraine with Stinger complexes from the war in Afghanistan

 Kiev is "extremely short of" interceptor missiles, Zelensky said, the Ukrainian air defense works at the limit of its capabilities, experts note. Russia condemns Western military assistance to Ukraine.

Western countries handed over Stinger portable anti-aircraft missile systems to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which were launched during the Soviet war in Afghanistan in the 1980s, CNN reports with reference to Ukrainian air defense troops.

In its material, the TV channel tells about the mobile units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which operate, among other things, to protect the infrastructure from drones. These units, CNN notes, represent cheaper and more numerous defenses, as opposed to advanced Western systems, such as Patriot, aimed at countering fast missiles.

Alexey Melnik from the Kiev Razumkov Analytical Center told the TV channel that the targets are defense industry facilities. "And although this is not officially recognized, a significant proportion of these missiles have achieved their goals," he said. Melnik also added that the Ukrainian air defense works "at the limit of its capabilities."

Kiev needs more interceptor missiles, which, as President Vladimir Zelensky said, "extremely lacking." According to him, Ukraine now cannot produce modern air defense systems together with its partners.

At the end of last year, Zelensky said that without the help of the West, the Armed Forces of Ukraine would be forced to retreat. He said he was focused on getting further assistance and convincing the allies to continue support.

The issue of continuing assistance to Ukraine has not yet been resolved in the United States, where disputes between the White House and Republicans in Congress over the budget continue. President Joe Biden requested a total of $75 billion for Ukraine and Israel, but it has not yet been possible to agree on these spending. In addition, the European Union has not yet been able to agree on the allocation of financial assistance to Kiev in the amount of €50 billion for the next four years due to Hungary's position. Brussels is discussing options for supporting Kiev in another way, including not from the EU budget.

The Russian authorities have repeatedly criticized Western military assistance to Kiev, noting that this will not affect the course of the military operation. At the end of last year, President Vladimir Putin noted that Ukraine already produces "almost nothing" and receives weapons from foreign countries "for free." According to him, since the beginning of the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (the president called it a failure), Russian forces have destroyed 747 tanks and about 2 thousand armored vehicles. "That's what demilitarization is," he said.