Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv could potentially destroy all Russian ballistic missiles targeting Ukraine if the United States sold it 10% of its stockpile of Patriot interceptor missiles.
In an interview with CNN on Aug. 12, Zelensky said Ukraine urgently needs additional air defense missiles ahead of the winter, when Russian attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure are expected to pose a major threat.
“This year I’m asking American partners to sell me 5% of missiles, what they have in their stocks,” Zelensky said. He added that even such a share could make a major difference for Ukraine. “If they 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,” he said.
Zelensky said Ukraine currently has access to only a small portion of the US interceptor missile supply. “I have 1%,” he said, as Kyiv continues to press Washington for larger deliveries amid increasingly intense Russian strikes.
The shortage has become particularly serious as Ukraine struggles to intercept Russian ballistic missiles. In July, Ukrainian forces intercepted just 29 of the 195 ballistic missiles launched by Russia, according to Ukrainian figures cited in the supplied reports. The month was also described by the United Nations as the deadliest for civilians since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
