Anti-aircraft troops of Ukraine shot down more than 3,000 targets during the war, including more than 180 aircraft, more than 130 helicopters, about 40 ballistic and more than a thousand cruise Russian missiles, more than 1,600 drones of various types, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video message on Monday.

“First of all, I congratulate our anti-aircraft warriors - the warriors of the anti-aircraft missile troops of the Ukrainian Air Force, who are celebrating their holiday today. I thank you for every target you have shot down, warriors!” he said.

“All this means thousands and thousands of lives saved by you, hundreds of critical infrastructure facilities that you have protected,” Zelenskyy noted.

According to him, “unfortunately, our state does not yet have enough high-quality air defense systems to protect our entire territory and shoot down all enemy targets.”

“The enemy is taking advantage of this, as it did today, when it launched another terrorist attack on the city of Sumy with an Iranian drone, hitting residential buildings and the building of the Security Service of Ukraine. As a result of these strikes, there are wounded and killed,” he said.

Zelenskyy stated that “we will do everything possible and impossible to make our air defense system the most powerful.”

“Today, General Oleschuk, the commander of the Air Force, reported to me on our actions to strengthen air defense. The goal is for the Ukrainian sky shield to be able to protect our entire territory from Russian terror, and in the future, to become the basis for the European sky shield. This is absolutely necessary and absolutely possible,” the President said.