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Ukraine is seeking 300 Patriot interceptor missiles from its allies to strengthen air defenses during the coming winter, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing.
Zelenskyy stressed that preparations for winter must begin immediately, while Ukraine continues to do everything possible to push Russia toward peace negotiations.
"This summer has already become the most difficult for Russia. Our long-range and medium-range strike operations will continue, and we will intensify them," he said.
According to the president, one of the most effective ways to reinforce Ukraine's and Europe's position is to secure a dedicated winter stockpile of air defense missiles. If Ukraine has enough interceptors to shoot down incoming attacks, Russia will have fewer incentives to prolong the war into the winter months.
"We have calculated that this package should include 100 Patriot missiles per month—300 missiles for the winter. I ask you to consider this," Zelenskyy said.
Patriot missile shortage
A shortage of interceptor missiles for the Patriot air defense system remains one of Ukraine's most pressing military challenges, particularly because Patriot is one of the few systems capable of intercepting ballistic missiles.
Russia has increasingly relied on ballistic missiles during large-scale attacks, and in several recent barrages Ukrainian air defenses were unable to intercept any of them.
During the latest strike on Kyiv, Russia also reportedly used S-400 surface-to-air missiles in a ground-attack role. Such missiles are considered highly inaccurate when used against ground targets and pose a significant risk to civilians.
