Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russia continues to increase its production of ballistic missiles due to insufficient international sanctions targeting its military-industrial complex. At the same time, Ukraine is facing a shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles needed to defend its cities from Russian attacks.
The President made the remarks during an interview with Sky News.
According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine and its European partners have secured funding to purchase additional PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles from the United States, but current supplies remain far below the country's needs.
"PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles are purely defensive weapons. We have managed to secure European funding to buy them from the United States, but there are still not enough of them. This is a major problem because sanctions against Russia's military production have not been strong enough, allowing it to expand the production of ballistic missiles," Zelenskyy said.
Global Shortage of Air Defense Missiles
The President noted that interceptor missiles are currently in short supply worldwide, partly because of rising security challenges in the Middle East.
While Ukraine has significantly expanded its domestic defense industry and is capable of producing systems to counter drones and other aerial threats, it still cannot manufacture enough interceptors capable of destroying ballistic missiles.
Building a European Air Defense Shield
Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine is working together with its partners to build a stronger European air and missile defense system, including an anti-ballistic component.
He also revealed that U.S. President Donald Trump has approved licenses allowing Ukraine to produce missiles for the Patriot air defense system.
However, the Ukrainian leader stressed that obtaining production licenses does not mean interceptor missiles can be manufactured immediately in large quantities.
"This process cannot happen overnight. We are only at the beginning of building this capability," he explained.
Expanding Ukraine's Defense Industry
Zelenskyy said he had been requesting temporary production licenses from both the United States and European allies since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion.
According to the President, once Ukraine significantly expands its production capacity, it will be prepared not only to meet its own defense needs but also to support partner countries facing similar security challenges.
He cited recent events in the Middle East as an example of how quickly global demand for advanced air defense systems can increase.
Strengthening Ukraine's Air Defense Remains a Priority
The President stressed that reinforcing Ukraine's air defense network remains one of the country's highest priorities as Russia continues to intensify missile attacks on civilian infrastructure.
He called for stronger sanctions against Russia's defense industry and faster delivery of interceptor missiles to help protect Ukrainian cities from ongoing ballistic missile strikes.
