Zelenskyy: Delivery Speed of Patriot Air Defense Missiles This Year Reduced by Two-Thirds
On August 5, Ukrainska Pravda reported that after a meeting with senior military officials, Zelenskyy stated that the scale of air defense missile deliveries to Ukraine from abroad this year has been significantly reduced.
"Compared to 2025, the supply volume of air defense missiles has been cut down to just one-third of the original amount—not only during this summer, but throughout the first half of 2026 as well. Allies do have missile inventories in stock. The key lies in all parties issuing corresponding political resolutions to accelerate production, especially by promoting local production of munitions within Ukraine. This would not only provide real assistance to our country but also safeguard global public safety."
He said he has already discussed priority deployment matters regarding long-range strikes against targets on Russian territory with military and special forces.
"Strikes targeting Russian oil facilities and refineries are ongoing. The aggressors' cost of prolonging the war will continue to rise. Allied-imposed sanctions on Russia should be accompanied by enhanced capabilities for our long-range strike operations. I will engage in consultations with key countries on this matter—there remains room for supplementation and improvement in the current sanctions framework."
Previously, the UK's Financial Times reported that U.S. President Trump rejected Zelenskyy's request for hundreds of Patriot missiles. The White House cited insufficient domestic U.S. anti-missile stockpiles and existing ammunition demands for U.S. forces in the Middle East as reasons.
Early on August 5, Russia launched a large-scale ballistic missile attack, deploying nearly 30 ballistic missiles. Ukrainian Air Force reported that the air defense forces failed to intercept any of the incoming missiles.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872680792920392/
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