President Zelenskyy: Ukraine needs at least 7 Patriot systems, no time to lose

The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his evening address that Ukraine is in need of at least seven Patriot systems. He said that Ukraine’s allies are in possession of these systems.

”It is important that all new agreements with partners that are already in place to strengthen our air defense, every initiative of friends of Ukraine to help, in particular, with the search and delivery of Patriots, should be implemented as soon as possible. Ukraine needs seven systems, and this is the minimum. Our partners have these Patriots,” Zelenskyy noted.

In addition, Zelenskyy emphasized his gratitude to the partners of Ukraine, who have already helped with air defense. Their support contributes to the protection of Ukrainian citizens.

”Now every system to protect the sky, every anti-missile is literally a defense of life,” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy said that Russia can see that Western countries do not possess the same determination to defend Europe against terror as they have demonstrated the Middle East. ”But it is still possible to provide the necessary quantity and quality of air defense systems. There is no time to lose – we must send the necessary signal of determination,” he said.

Ukraine’s president also noted that during the massive Russian missile attack on Saturday morning, “the missile trajectories and the nature of the strike were calculated by Russian terrorists to complicate the work of our air defense system as much as possible.”

The main targets of the 34 enemy missiles were various energy facilities: electricity and gas transit facilities.

“These are the gas facilities on which, in particular, the security of supplies to the European Union depends,” the president said.

Struggling to acquire air defense

The call for more air defense, in particular concerning the Patriot systems, comes as Ukraine is struggling to acquire more systems from allies.

So far, Germany remains the only country to respond to Ukraine’s urgent request for additional Patriot systems amid intensified Russian aerial attacks. Other countries have failed to make similar pledges ahead of the upcoming Ramstein meeting, which is expected to address military aid coordination for Ukraine. These countries with US-made Patriots or Soviet-era S-300 systems remain hesitant to part with them, fearing they might compromise their national defenses.

Earlier on April 19, at the NATO-Ukraine Council, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine needs at least seven more Patriot systems “or similar air defense systems” for defense. In addition on April 6, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine needs 25 Patriot systems to completely close its territory from enemy air attacks.

Furthermore, according to the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, Ukraine can produce its own Patriot systems. Ukraine is in the process of negotiating with the US over the potential joint production of Patriot air defense missile systems, as Kyiv seeks to bolster its air defenses against Russian attacks. 

Read more:

• Ukraine struggles to secure more Patriots from allies amid escalated Russian air attacks
• Stoltenberg: NATO to step up air defense aid to Ukraine
• Borrel, Stoltenberg urge NATO to stop stockpiling Patriots, put Ukraine’s needs first
• Ambassador to US Markarova: Ukraine negotiating local Patriot system production
• Kuleba: Ukraine wants at least 7 Patriot air defense systems