President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the supplies of modern Western aircraft and air defense systems gradually strengthen the sky shield of Ukraine against Russian attacks, making it one of the strongest shields in Europe.

"Over almost two and a half years of the war, our Air Force have already carried out 22,000 combat flights, and we are strengthening out aviation. Now, Ukraine also has modern and really effective air defense systems. These air defense capabilities are not enough yet to protect our entire sky against Russian missiles and drones. But today, Ukraine's sky shield is already one of the strongest in Europe," he told a press conference on the occasion of Ukrainian Air Force Day on August 4.

The head of state emphasized that "the enemy is not prevailing and will not prevail in the sky of our country from the first days of this war, and that will always be the case."

"The Russian occupiers really hopes to destroy our Ukrainian aviation and air defense, our capabilities to defend our country, but Ukrainians did not let this happen. And this is pure heroism. When our Air Forces fighters had to confront Russia's large air fleet, Ukraine made it to achieve its goals, made it to defend itself, made it to destroy the occupiers," he said.

Zelenskyy stressed that "Ukrainians have proved to the whole world they can shoot down Russian missiles, even ballistic ones, which had been long spoken of as invincible for sky defenders. Ukrainians have proved they are able to protect the Ukrainian sky from the enemy and protect the life of our people, our villages and cities from Russian terror."