"Russia wants Ukrainians to flee their cities, and we must do everything we can to save people" – Zelenskyy

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, made this statement in an interview with the Financial Times.

According to Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian side had obtained information about Vladimir Putin’s position from intelligence sources and from certain individuals in his inner circle.

“From intelligence reports and from certain individuals in Putin’s inner circle, we know that in early September Putin said: ‘Now – no rules’. The Russians were unable to occupy us. That is why they are now carrying out massive attacks and mass killings,” said Zelenskyy.

According to him, Russia is seeking to destroy Ukrainian bridges, data centres, the internet and mobile networks, as well as hospitals, nurseries, schools and universities – to destroy everything.

“They want people to flee their cities, and we must do everything we can to save our people and our cities,” the president stated.

F-16s are destroying up to 60 per cent of jet-powered drones

Zelenskyy also spoke about countering Russian jet-powered drones. He said that F-16 fighter jets are currently destroying between 50 per cent and 60 per cent of such drones.

Ukraine is working to acquire the necessary armament for the F-16s. High-speed interceptors are set to become another means of combating drones.

Ukraine is currently testing five such interceptors. However, their effectiveness varies considerably: on one day it can reach 70 per cent, whilst on another it may be as low as 30 per cent.

According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine does not have the billions needed to manufacture a million ineffective interceptors. Engines remain one of the main problems. Ukraine imports many of them and manufactures some itself, but the available quantities are insufficient.

Ukraine expects to receive 400 interceptors in October

The President noted that the five prototypes under testing had been used a varying number of times: some five or ten times, others just once. Therefore, the available results are not yet sufficient to assess their actual effectiveness.

“You had one, and you shot down one Russian drone. That is the problem,” explained Zelenskyy.

The President did not specify an exact date for the large-scale deployment of such systems, but stated that Ukraine would have 400 interceptors by October.

According to him, deploying 400 interceptors over the course of several days of Russian attacks will allow their effectiveness to be assessed. If the drone destroys only 10 per cent of targets, it will become clear that it is not working. If the success rate reaches 30 per cent or more, development can continue to be refined.

“And when the success rate reaches 60–70 per cent, that will be a huge success,” Zelenskyy said.