Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on the United States to increase supplies of Patriot air-defense interceptors to Ukraine, arguing that access to a larger share of the US stockpile could significantly strengthen Kyiv’s ability to defend against Russian ballistic missile attacks.

Speaking in an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Zelensky said Ukraine was asking Washington to sell it 5% of its Patriot interceptor missile stockpile, saying such a quantity could help the country withstand the coming winter and save lives.

“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,” Zelensky said.

Zelensky said Ukraine currently receives only a small share of the US interceptor missiles it needs, describing the shortage as a critical challenge as Russian strikes continue to target civilian and energy infrastructure.

According to figures cited by Ukrainian authorities, Russia launched 195 ballistic missiles against Ukraine in July, of which only 29 were intercepted. The month was also described by the United Nations as the deadliest for Ukrainian civilians since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

The Ukrainian president has repeatedly urged the United States and other allies to provide additional air-defense systems and interceptors as Russian missile and drone attacks intensify.

Washington, however, is facing its own constraints. US missile inventories have reportedly been reduced following military operations, including the recent war with Iran.

US President Donald Trump said earlier this month that the United States also needed missiles, highlighting the difficulty of providing Kyiv with large quantities of additional interceptors.

At the same time, Ukraine and the United States have been discussing potential co-production of Patriot interceptor missiles. However, US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker has indicated that such an agreement is unlikely to become operational before the coming winter.

Zelensky also warned that Russia's ballistic missile stockpile remains substantial and claimed that Moscow is producing significantly more ballistic missiles each month than it did previously.

Ukrainian intelligence has estimated that Russian production of key missile types is running 10–20% above monthly targets, with some models reportedly exceeding those levels.

Facing difficulties in securing sufficient Western-made interceptors, Ukraine is also working on developing its own ballistic and anti-ballistic missile capabilities. Zelensky has said Ukrainian-made systems could become combat-ready as early as this fall.

Meanwhile, Kyiv continues diplomatic efforts to obtain additional air-defense ammunition from its allies.

“With everybody, I try to exchange something (for) missiles,” Zelensky told CNN, underscoring the urgency Ukraine attaches to strengthening its air-defense network ahead of the winter months. (ILKHA)