Nevertheless, it still has enough killing machines and missiles for terror.
Of course, the blame for every Ukrainian's death from airstrikes and in the cities blocked by the occupiers lies with Russia and its military. Those who give criminal orders and deliberately kill the Ukrainian people are at fault.
It's the occupiers' fault. However, those who can but do not decide to close the skies over Ukraine from hostile Russian aircraft and cruise missiles are also responsible. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated this in his address on 8 March.
"Those who have not been able to make an obviously necessary decision somewhere in the west for 13 days must take responsibility. Those who have not yet secured the Ukrainian sky from Russian assassins also are responsible for this. Those who have not saved our cities from strikes, bombs and missiles though they can; those who are not helping to lift the blockade are also responsible. Hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people in cities are on the verge of life and death - literally, not as it sounds in politicians' comments. Fighter aircraft are vital for us. Missile defence is vital," he said.
Zelenskyy stressed that the occupiers again bombed Sumy from the sky - a peaceful city that has never threatened Russia. The occupiers blocked Mariupol. They are exhausting and torturing this city. They deliberately disconnect the residents' connection, not allowing the Ukrainian authorities to deliver food and water there.
"In Mariupol, probably for the first time since the Nazi invasion, a child died of dehydration. Listen to me, dear partners - a child died of dehydration in 2022. We have been fighting for the 13th day, destroying the occupiers wherever we can. But there is the sky with hundreds of cruise missiles, hundreds of occupying warplanes, hundreds of helicopters. Yes, we are destroying them. Russia has not lost as many aircraft in the past 30 years as in these 13 days in Ukraine. However, they still have enough killing machines, terror missiles, 500-kilogram bombs to drop them on us, on ordinary people, on Chernihiv, Odesa and Kharkiv, Poltava and Zhytomyr, on dozens of cities, on millions of civilians. We have heard only promises for the last 13 days. You only tell us about some help in the sky, some planes you will hand over to us", the president declared.
He added that there is no more time to wait for Mariupol. The occupiers want our people to die.
So far, the United States and NATO have opposed the creation of a no-fly zone in Ukraine, saying the move could lead to a "full-scale war in Europe". Ukraine has asked to close the skies from the first day of the war because it is about the lives of peaceful Ukrainians and the security of the whole of Europe as Russian troops are firing at nuclear power plants.