Day 662 of the Invasion of Ukraine: Putin Creates Leningrad Military District Due To Finland Joining NATO

Day 662 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

• Zelensky praised the Ukrainian air defense
• One person was killed in a Russian airstrike in Odesa region, Governor Oleg Kiper said
• Putin: We are creating the Leningrad Military District because Finland joined NATO
• Putin: Biden's remark about a possible Russian plan to attack NATO is "complete nonsense"
• Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba praised Scholz's unusual tactics at an EU summit that ended earlier this week
• Ukraine removed Raiffeisen from the blacklist, Austria supported sanctions against Russia

Zelensky praised the Ukrainian air defense

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, praised the work of the Ukrainian air defense in his evening video address, after Russia carried out heavy airstrikes on Ukraine for several days and nights, DPA reported.

In one week, 104 of the 112 Iranian Shahed kamikaze drones were intercepted, Zelensky emphasized. "And the destruction of each one of them means that human lives and infrastructure have been saved," the president added, thanking all servicemen of the Air Defense Forces.

Ballistic missiles from Russia were also shot down this week. The Patriot, NASAMS, Cheetah and other systems provided by Ukraine's partners "are working perfectly," Zelensky noted, but added that it was important for the country to continue improving its air defenses. This topic was discussed in almost all of his contacts with foreign partners.

According to data from the civil authorities, there were dozens of victims and...