Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urgently appealed to Washington, saying Ukraine has only a fraction of the interceptor missiles needed to counter intensifying Russian strikes, leaving cities highly vulnerable as winter approaches.
In a CNN interview, Zelensky disclosed that Ukraine’s stocks of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors are nearly depleted as Moscow intensifies its aerial assaults.
“This year we have two and a half times less interceptors than we had in 2025,” Zelensky said. “Russia has two times more ballistic missiles per month than they had before. If they [the U.S.] sell us 5%, we will go through the winter and save people’s lives. If they can sell us 10%, we will destroy all the Russians’ ballistic missiles. I have 1%.”
Severe stockpile deficit amid Russian escalation
This shortage coincides with one of the conflict’s most dangerous periods. United Nations data shows July was the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since April 2022. Moscow has increasingly targeted Kyiv and other population centers, exploiting gaps in Ukraine’s air defenses.
“Each night you have attacks, and four or five times per month we have massive attacks … terrible nights,” Zelensky noted. “Very heroic, very resilient people really. But they (are) tired.”
The global supply of Patriot missiles has faced severe constraints amid conflict in the Middle East, where the U.S. and allies have used dozens of interceptors against missile and drone attacks. This shortage has severely impacted Ukraine, where major cities regularly face ballistic barrages with limited means of interception.
Behind-the-scenes scramble for air defense
Zelensky described the ongoing, often discreet diplomatic efforts needed to obtain even small shipments of munitions from international partners.
Zelensky said he spends his days making “millions” of calls to allies to broker complex transactions. “This is what I live each day: from 1% to 5%… I try to exchange something to missiles. I do some things which I can’t even share. It doesn’t mean that it’s outside of the law. But I can’t speak about it.”
At the NATO summit in Ankara, President Donald Trump initially suggested that Kyiv could be licensed to manufacture Patriot interceptors domestically. However, subsequent decisions remain unclear, leaving production talks in limbo.
A White House official stated that the U.S. is considering defense industrial cooperation, but discussions are still preliminary. “We must prioritize protecting these exquisite systems and expanding overall production of critical weapons systems for the U.S. warfighter and for our partners and allies,” the official emphasized.
Security guarantees and territorial stance
In addition to air defense needs, Zelensky addressed diplomatic negotiations and the Trump-led peace initiative. He reiterated that any lasting settlement must include strong security guarantees, not territorial concessions in the Donbas.
Zelensky warned that giving up territory without deterrence would only delay future aggression: “Russia begins to speak about this war, and they speak about territory. The key question is why he will not come again with 1 or 2 additional million soldiers after a big pause. Why he will not come again to occupy us?”
He also agreed with Western intelligence assessments that Vladimir Putin could escalate against smaller NATO members, especially the Baltic states, if left unchecked.
“He doesn’t know how to end this war without big occupation or big victory for his society… He wants quick victory, 100% sure that he will win, occupy or destroy or control,” he said.