Ukraine Appeals to US for More Patriot Air Defense Systems

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appealed to US President Donald Trump for additional air defense support and Patriot missile supplies, warning that ballistic missiles remain one of Russia’s key advantages on the battlefield.

In a letter addressed to Trump and members of Congress, Zelensky said Ukraine was prepared to purchase the required number of Patriot systems and interceptor missiles. Kyiv maintains that US-made Patriot missiles are currently the only effective means of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles.

According to Zelensky, Ukraine faces a growing threat as the pace of deliveries through NATO’s Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) program no longer reflects conditions on the front line.

“For us - for a nation fighting for its survival - there is hardly anything more painful to see than Patriot batteries with no missiles loaded”, he said.

The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched 30 ballistic missiles during a large-scale attack on Sunday, of which 11 were intercepted.

Zelenskiy also said that Moscow's troops launched two nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic Oreshnik missiles for that strike.

In his letter, the Ukrainian president thanked the United States for its continued support but warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin would have little incentive to pursue diplomacy while Russia retained an advantage in ballistic missile capabilities.

(reuters, bak)