---
title: "Zelensky on Air Defense Deficit: Russia Strikes with Ballistic Missiles, While Allies' Stocks Are Depleted"
description: "Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged a critical shortage of missiles for Ukraine's air defense. The President linked the deficit to the US shifting focus to the Middle East and called on allies to accelerate deliveries and establish joint production of defense systems. 🇺🇦🚀🛡️"
date: 2026-07-27T04:20:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/zelensky-air-defense-deficit-russia-ballistic-missiles-allies-depleted
tags: [zelensky, ukraine, pvo, sky-news, patriot]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Zelensky on Air Defense Deficit: Russia Strikes with Ballistic Missiles, While Allies' Stocks Are Depleted

![Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a black jacket against a blurred urban backdrop — illustration for article on air defense shortage and depleted ally reserves](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/27/zelensky-defitsit-raket-pvo-rossiya-ballisticheskie-atak/zelensky-defitsit-raket-pvo-rossiya-ballisticheskie-atak-1.webp)

The situation with Ukraine's air defense has reached a critical point. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an interview with Sky News, acknowledged that the country is catastrophically short of missiles to repel massified attacks from Russia.

The head of state emphasized that Moscow is increasingly using ballistic missiles to strike major cities. As an example, he cited the recent attack on Kyiv: within just one hour, 40 ballistic missiles were fired at the capital. Such intensity of strikes requires colossal resources for interception, which Kyiv currently lacks.

### Global Causes of the Deficit

Zelensky analyzed the causes of this crisis and pointed to the geopolitical context. According to him, the root of the problem lies in the conflict in the Middle East. Due to tensions in this region, the attention and resources of the United States have shifted to other directions, which indirectly led to a shortage of air defense systems for Ukraine.

“Now I understand the roots of the problem. I understand the relationship between the US and Middle Eastern countries, and I understand that the States are focused on the Middle East, but that is why we face this challenge, and for us, it is a major problem,” explained the Ukrainian leader.

### Priority on Negotiations and Production

In response to the threat, Zelensky has focused efforts on diplomacy. He is holding active negotiations with US President Donald Trump and other allies, striving to convince them of the necessity of continuing financial and military support. Furthermore, there is talk of increasing sanctions pressure on Russia, as existing measures are not stopping the ramp-up of Russian ballistic missile production.

To address the deficit, options for accelerating deliveries and organizing joint production are being considered. In particular, the launch of Patriot system production under an American license with Japanese support is being discussed. Ukraine is also counting on accelerated deliveries of missiles for Patriot surface-to-air missile systems from the US.

The President announced new appointments in the field of sky protection and defined specific steps to accelerate key defense initiatives, calling the current situation a “major challenge” for the country.