Facing intense airstrikes from Russian forces, calling on the West to transfer missiles, Zelensky urgently requests American "Patriot" systems.

[Global Times Special Correspondents in Russia: Sui Xin, Liu Yupeng, Qi Rong] From the night of the 1st to the morning of the 2nd, Russia launched a large-scale airstrike on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, which has continued to draw widespread international attention. According to a report by the BBC on the 3rd, the attack resulted in at least 30 deaths and 91 injuries. National Public Radio in the United States stated that this round of attacks highlights the increasingly severe challenges facing Ukraine's air defense system. In a speech on the 2nd, Ukrainian President Zelensky said that if foreign partners had delivered the promised air defense systems, the lives and homes of Ukrainians could have been saved. The Russian newspaper Izvestia reported that Zelensky accused Western countries of failing to fulfill their commitments. He also reiterated his call for the U.S. government to allow Ukraine to produce Patriot air defense missiles. Some Russian scholars believe this may be Kyiv's wishful thinking.

Foreign Media: Change in Russia's Airstrike "Pattern" on Kyiv

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Ukrainian State Emergency Service stated that Russia launched one of the largest airstrikes on Kyiv since the outbreak of the conflict, with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and waves of drones attacking over 30 locations in the city from the night of the 1st to the morning of the 2nd.

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated on the 2nd that the airstrikes on Kyiv were a response to Ukraine's recent attacks on Russia. The New York Times reported on the 3rd that Ukraine is increasingly capable of bringing the conflict into Russian territory, using domestically produced long-range drones and cruise missiles to strike Russian energy and military facilities. Through large-scale airstrikes on Kyiv, Russia sends a new signal indicating that it will not back down.

The BBC reported that residents of Kyiv believe that the pattern of Russian attacks on the city has changed over the past two months; although the frequency of attacks has decreased, each attack lasts longer and seems to be more powerful and widespread. The Russian news agency Sputnik quoted military commentator Kholodny on the 3rd, stating that the large-scale attacks on Kyiv and other regions of Ukraine are an important means to accelerate the "special military operation" and dispel Western expectations of a "strategic turning point" and the salvation of the Kyiv regime.

According to a report by RIA Novosti on the 3rd, Russia's ambassador-at-large Rodion Miroshnik stated that the number of drones supplied to Ukraine by the West has increased by 6 to 8 times in a year, and this increase in weaponry has not led to "victories on the battlefield," but rather to an increase in terrorist attacks against Russian civilian targets and civilians.

The Russian weekly Argumenty i Fakty reported that after a devastating attack on Kyiv's military factories on the 2nd, the focus of Russian airstrikes shifted to northern and eastern Ukraine. From the night of the 2nd to the early morning of the 3rd, Russian forces attacked military facilities in Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Chernihiv regions of Ukraine.

Ukraine's drone attacks on Russia are also ongoing. According to the Russian newspaper Izvestia on the 3rd, from 8 PM on the 2nd to 7 AM on the 3rd, the Russian air defense system intercepted and destroyed a total of 155 Ukrainian drones.

Ukraine Complains of Insufficient Support from Allies

According to reports from the New York Times and BBC, the Ukrainian Air Force stated that during the attacks from the night of the 1st to the morning of the 2nd, Russia launched a total of 74 missiles and 496 drones, primarily targeting Kyiv. In this attack, Russia used 28 ballistic missiles, which can only be intercepted by the Patriot missile defense system. Prior to this, Ukraine's stock of Patriot missiles had already reached a critical level. The BBC quoted Ukrainian military experts as saying that this round of attacks is the biggest challenge faced by Ukraine's air defense system in recent months, as Russia employed various weapons simultaneously to weaken Ukraine's defenses.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Zelensky stated on the 2nd that if foreign partners had delivered the promised air defense systems, the lives and homes of Ukrainians could have been saved. "On one hand, we have received a lot of support, for which we are grateful, but on the other hand, we are fighting alone."

The Kyiv Independent reported that in a speech on the evening of the 2nd, Zelensky reiterated that producing Patriot air defense missiles domestically is the "most effective and sustainable way" to defend against the threat of Russian ballistic missiles, and he is waiting for a positive response from the U.S. president regarding the production license for this missile. The Russian newspaper Pravda reported on the 3rd that Russian scholar Kudryavtsev believes this may be Kyiv's wishful thinking, as the U.S., which values practical interests, is unlikely to allow Ukraine to produce this missile in a situation where it could be struck by Russia at any time.

According to the Kyiv Independent, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense also stated on the 2nd that Defense Minister Fedorov has called on nearly 40 partner countries to urgently transfer Patriot missiles from their national stockpiles to Ukraine in July. Kyiv has also taken measures and is attempting to purchase 100 Patriot missiles through a €1 billion loan supported by the EU. Meanwhile, European partners have begun transferring missiles from their stockpiles to Ukraine this year. "But this is still not enough. Ukraine urgently needs more Patriot missiles, which are available in the stockpiles of partner countries," the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense stated.

The Ukraine Issue Expected to Be One of the Main Topics at the NATO Summit

Recently, Western media have continuously emphasized that Ukraine is experiencing a "turning point" in its conflict with Russia. "Has the situation really reversed?" The Lowy Institute in Australia published an article on the 2nd stating that the battlefield situation in Ukraine "remains fragile," with its troop numbers at a disadvantage, a high desertion rate, logistics lines vulnerable to Russian drone attacks, and air defense systems nearly exhausted. The article argues that Russia has shown no willingness to compromise, and the "more confident" Ukraine is also unlikely to agree to unacceptable agreements, so there are currently no signs that the war is about to end.

The NATO summit will be held on the 7th and 8th. According to reports from the Ukrainian news agency on the 2nd, the Ukraine issue will be one of the main topics at this summit. According to U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO Whittaker, NATO member countries may announce a new aid plan for Ukraine.

However, Bloomberg reported on the 3rd that due to disagreements over the duration of financial support for Ukraine, NATO member countries are finding it difficult to reach a consensus on a joint statement for the summit. Sources revealed that Italy is trying to downplay the commitment to provide military assistance to Ukraine until the end of next year, using the example of strengthening diplomatic activities with Russia to illustrate that such statements would hinder the possibility of a negotiated resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.