Ukraine has again requested modern missile defense weapons from its foreign partners in order to be able to repel Russian attacks from a distance.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyj announced important talks about the procurement of such systems for this week.

He did not say who he would be speaking to, but it wasn't just European politicians.

"We repeat to our partners that Ukraine needs modern missile defense weapons," he said.

In eastern Ukraine, bitter fighting continued for the city of Severodonetsk.

Russia announced the creation of a humanitarian corridor on Wednesday.

Through this, civilians who have sought refuge in the local chemical plant Azot can get to safety.

According to the Ministry of Defense in Moscow, 540 to 560 civilians are believed to be in the cellars under the plant.

Most Russian missiles get through

Zelenskyy pointed out that Ukraine was able to shoot down some missiles during Russian attacks on Tuesday, but not all.

The targets of the shelling were in the western Ukrainian regions of Lemberg (Lviv) and Ternopil.

According to local authorities, six people were injured.

The debris of a launched rocket hit a brick factory in Zolochiv in the Lviv region.

Ukraine had asked for modern missile defense even before the Russian invasion on February 24, the President said in Kyiv on Tuesday evening.

A delay cannot be justified.

Ukraine currently has “the greatest need for such weapons in Europe”.

Since the beginning of the war, the Russian army has repeatedly fired rockets and cruise missiles at targets in Ukraine from a safe distance from land, air and sea.

Not only military targets are hit, but also many partly civilian buildings in the big cities.

Air alarm repeatedly forces the residents into shelters.

Ukraine's call for a force-enforced ban on flying in the skies over the country has been rejected by its foreign supporters.

They did not want to be drawn into a direct military confrontation with Russia.

Scholz before visiting Kyiv

It should also be about arms deliveries when Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi visit Kyiv.

The trip is expected, but no official date has been announced yet.

According to its military leadership, Ukraine has so far only received a tenth of the necessary arms aid from abroad.

"To date, we have about ten percent of what Ukraine said it needs," said Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar on Ukrainian television.

Russia is infinitely superior in armament and number of soldiers.

"No matter how Ukraine tries, no matter how professional our army is, we will not be able to win this war without the help of partners."

Escape corridor from Severodonetsk

According to Moscow, the escape route for civilians from the Azot chemical plant in Severodonetsk will be open for twelve hours this Wednesday.

It heads north to the town of Swatowe (Swatowo), said General Mikhail Mizintsev of the Russian Defense Ministry.

Swatowe is located in the Luhansk People's Republic, which is controlled by pro-Russian separatists and recognized by Russia as a state.

Moscow rejected the Ukrainian proposal to let people flee to Kyiv-controlled territory.

Ukraine only wants to smuggle its armed men out of Severodonetsk, as they did recently at the Azovstal steel plant in the port city of Mariupol, Misintsev said.

He called on the Ukrainian soldiers to surrender.

Zelenskyy, on the other hand, called on his troops to hold out in view of the costly defensive battle in the east.

"This is our state.

Holding out there in Donbass is vital,” he said.

"There are losses, and they are painful." But on the front in the east it will be decided which side will dominate in the coming weeks.

The higher the enemy casualties there, the less power he has to continue the aggression, the president said.

Russia supplies less gas

The Russian energy giant Gazprom has reduced the maximum gas delivery volumes through the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline to Germany by 40 percent.

The reason for this are delays in repair work by Siemens, the state-owned company said in Moscow.

A gas compressor unit was not returned in time from repairs.

As a result, only up to 100 million cubic meters of gas could be pumped through the pipeline every day – around 60 percent of the previously planned daily volume of 167 million.

Nevertheless, the Federal Government considers the security of supply to be guaranteed.

For Germany, Nord Stream 1 is the main supply pipeline with Russian gas.

In order to secure the supply of natural gas, the federal government is supporting a former Russian gas company with billions.

According to information from government circles, Gazprom Germania, which is now controlled by Germany, is to receive nine to ten billion euros in aid from the state development bank KfW.

That's going to be important today

Before the possible visit to Kyiv, French President Macron will visit the Republic of Moldova this Wednesday and meet its head of state Maia Sandu.

The small ex-Soviet republic borders on Ukraine and wants to join the EU just like Ukraine.

The defense ministers of the NATO countries in Brussels this Wednesday will be dealing with the changed security situation in Europe as a result of the Russian war of aggression.

The focus is on strengthening the eastern flank and the planned expansion of the alliance to include Sweden and Finland.

At the end of July, NATO will hold a summit meeting in Madrid.