President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Ukraine’s Western allies to urgently strengthen the country’s air defence capabilities following what officials described as Russia’s largest-ever aerial attack on Kyiv. Speaking in a video address, Zelensky said Ukraine faces a critical shortage of Patriot air defence systems and urged the United States and European partners to step up support. He also called for expanded European production of anti-ballistic missile systems and renewed efforts to license Patriot production. Zelensky said stronger air defences should be a key outcome of the upcoming NATO summit, emphasizing the need to better protect Ukrainian cities from missile attacks.

Zelensky requests US licenses for Patriot missile production after a deadly Russian strike on Kyiv. NATO-Russia military clash by December 2026 at 16.5% YES.

Zelenskyy says Ukraine needs 140 Patriot missiles to counter a large-scale Russian attack on Kyiv but currently does not have enough.