 European countries reject calls from Ukraine to strengthen air defence Financial Times European capitals have rejected demands from Kyiv to send its air defence systems to Ukraine after a week of relentless missile and drone bombing by Russia that destroyed critical energy plants in the war-torn country. As the Financial Times notes, Ukraine has long warned that it needs urgent supplies of air defence systems to protect itself from the overwhelming number of Russian missiles aimed at the country's energy and heating infrastructure. President Volodymyr Zelensky stepped up calls for the transfer of American-made Patriot batteries criticising Kyiv's Western partners for turning a blind eye as the capital region witnessed the destruction of its largest power plant. Kyiv is lobbying to send Patriot systems to Ukraine from Poland, Romania and Spain. Two sources familiar with the negotiations told the Financial Times. They only need seven. But it's difficult, one person said. European capitals have said they have no plans to send more systems to Ukraine arguing they need to preserve defence capabilities. Germany gave Ukraine two Patriot systems but made clear that it would not provide more. We will not be able to offer any more systems at this time. The defence department said this position outraged some representatives of the opposition Christian Democratic Union, Norbert Rutgen, a Christian Democratic Union lawmaker and member of the Bundestag's Foreign Affairs Committee said Berlin could provide Ukraine with two more Patriot systems, especially since those lent to Poland and Slovakia have now been returned. Ukraine's demands have focused attention on strategic minimum levels of defence capability and whether European NATO states will decide to go below their self-imposed minimum level needed to defend their states in order to send equipment to Ukraine. We would say that any decision to reduce strategic stockpiles is largely in the hands of our defence forces and our armed forces and should always remain confidential. Finnish President Alexander Stob said this week when asked whether he believed that other countries could send more weapons to Ukraine. The Polish military insists it cannot supply Patriot to Ukraine while it itself awaits supplies from the United States after Washington approved a $15 billion Polish order for Patriot and related equipment last June. Russia used its new Kh-69 cruise missiles to destroy the Tripelsk thermal power plant near Ukrainian capital Kiev on Thursday. According to Defence Express website, fragments of this missile have been found near the site of the destruction. Kh-69 is a subsonic cruise missile for tactical aircraft which can be used with Su-34 and Su-35 fighters. The missiles were fired at the range of about 400 km. Despite the fact that Kh-69 missile is subsonic and has a smaller warhead than the hypersonic Kh-47M2 Kinzel, the use of the Kh-69 to strike Tripelsk raises an alarm. Defence Express noted that the destruction of Tripelsk power plant indicates that Kh-69 cruise missiles can penetrate the obviously exhausted Ukrainian air defense. At the same time, the range of the use of this missile of 400 km is sufficient to hit a significant number of objects on Ukraine's territory from tactical aircraft, which may well approach the border or the front line at a range of 50 to 70 km. Kh-69 was first used in in February 2024, although there were isolated cases of there being used in early 2023. The attack on Tripelsk on Thursday did not cause any casualties. The attack has not resulted in power cuts in Kiev or other regions supplied by Tripelsk, either. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the attack as terror, reiterating his earlier calls for more arms supplies to his country. We need air defense and other defense support, not eye-closing, and long discussions, Zelenskyy said and accused the West of turning a blind eye to his country's need for more air defenses. Footage shared on social media showed fire raging from the building in black smoke. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that the strike was in response to Ukraine's earlier attacks on Russia's oil and gas infrastructure. Ukraine's Air Force said it struck 18 incoming Russian missiles and 39 drones. According to the Air Force, Russia also fired six hypersonic Kinzel missiles, none of which they were able to down. According to Centro-Nergo Energy Company, Tripelsk thermal power plant was completely destroyed during the attack. A black day in the history of Centro-Nergo. The scale of the destruction is terrible. Money can't estimate it. This is the biggest challenge for us in the history of the company, the company said in a statement.