Photo: president.gov.ua
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump warning about a critical shortage of air defense systems, according to The Kyiv Independent and comments from presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn.
Lytvyn confirmed the report in comments to journalists, noting that the letter was addressed both to Trump and to the U.S. Congress.
The appeal comes amid intensified Russian mass strikes on Ukraine and recent public threats from the Kremlin about further attacks on Kyiv.
In the letter, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine relies heavily on its partners for missile defense systems, especially for protection against ballistic threats, where it depends almost entirely on the United States.
He also warned that current delivery rates under the PURL program are no longer sufficient given the scale of the threat and urged continued U.S. involvement in strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses.
Zelensky specifically called for additional Patriot PAC-3 missiles and further air defense systems to help counter Russian ballistic and other missile attacks.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian defense industry sources say a new air defense system, considered a lower-cost alternative to Patriot, could be tested in Ukraine by the end of this year.
Officials also note that achieving a 100% interception rate during large-scale combined Russian strikes is currently impossible, as weather conditions and other factors are actively used by Russia in planning attacks.
