Ukraine collects Patriot missiles a few at a time - Zelenskyy
Due to the global shortage of interceptor missiles, Ukraine is forced to build up the necessary reserves for air defense systems in small batches - sometimes partners agree to transfer only one, two, three or five missiles. Such agreements often have to be arranged directly at the level of heads of state, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a meeting with journalists in New York.
According to the president, there is currently no talk of supplying hundreds or thousands of missiles at a time. Ukraine actually accumulates the necessary quantity a few units at a time from various countries. Zelenskyy explained this by the simultaneous scarcity and high cost of such weapons.
The United States, according to him, could be the first to significantly increase supplies. Zelenskyy said he had asked President Donald Trump to help Ukraine despite limited stocks. The president linked the shortage in the US and other partners, in particular, to the war in the Middle East.
The consequences of the shortage of interceptors directly affect the results of air defense. During the latest ballistic attack on Kyiv, about 60% of missiles were neutralized. At the same time, Zelenskyy said that over the past year there were attacks when this figure fell to 10% or even zero. According to him, the reason is not a lack of experience among Ukrainian soldiers, but a shortage of missiles for interception.
The president also raised the ammunition problem during negotiations with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Zelenskyy noted that Russia is increasing the use of drones, while Ukraine needs to increase the number of interceptors and receive additional weapons for F-16 fighters. Because of this, he said, the cost of waging war for Ukraine continues to rise.
In parallel, Kyiv is trying to move from constantly seeking ready missiles to producing them in Ukraine. Zelenskyy said that during a meeting with Trump he repeatedly returned to the issue of American licenses for Patriot production. According to the president, Trump confirmed his readiness to transfer the necessary capabilities, but the deployment of complex production will take time.
That is precisely why domestic production will not solve the problem before the coming winter. Zelenskyy emphasized that the cold season will arrive sooner than Ukraine will technically be able to produce Patriots under American licenses, so other solutions for missile supply are needed before then.
During the meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump on September 22, the sides also discussed a separate winter air defense package. The presidential office reported that Ukrainian and American teams continue to work on launching production of interceptor missiles for Patriot in Ukraine.
Sources: Suspilne, Suspilne, Novyny Live
