Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made an urgent appeal to the United States to sell Ukraine at least five percent of its Patriot interceptor missiles. In an interview broadcast on Thursday, August 13, 2026, Zelensky said the move would save lives and enable Kyiv to survive the coming winter. He warned that Ukraine currently has only a tenth of the interceptors it needs to counter a dramatic increase in Russian ballistic missile attacks.
"If the United States sells us five percent, we will get through the winter and save lives," Zelensky said. "If they sell us ten percent, we will destroy all Russian ballistic missiles. I have one percent." The Ukrainian leader’s comments were aired on an American television network and quickly resonated across diplomatic circles.
Why the Patriot system is so important
The MIM-104 Patriot is one of the most advanced air defense systems in the world. Originally developed in the 1970s to protect US Army units from aircraft, it has evolved into a versatile system capable of engaging cruise missiles, drones, and short-range ballistic missiles. Over the years, multiple variants have been produced, including the PAC-2 and the more advanced PAC-3. The PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) uses hit-to-kill technology, colliding directly with incoming warheads rather than exploding near them. This makes it especially effective against fast-moving ballistic threats.
For Ukraine, Patriot batteries have become a vital shield. They are among the very few systems that can intercept Russian Iskander and Kinzhal missiles, which are launched from aircraft, ships, and ground launchers. A single Patriot battery consists of a radar set, an engagement control station, and up to eight launchers with multiple interceptor missiles. The entire system must operate in coordination to track targets, discriminate warheads from decoys, and fire interceptors at the precise moment.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Western countries have delivered a small number of Patriot systems to Ukraine. Germany and the Netherlands were among the first to provide them, with the United States following suit. These systems have been instrumental in defending the capital, Kyiv, and other strategically important locations. Ukrainian air defenders have used Patriots to shoot down dozens of Russian missiles, often saving hundreds of civilian lives in a single attack.
Russia's intensified missile campaign
In recent months, Russia has sharply increased the tempo of its missile strikes. According to Zelensky, Moscow now launches twice as many ballistic missiles per month as it did earlier in the conflict. At the same time, Ukraine's interceptor stockpiles have been severely depleted. The president added that Ukraine has two and a half times fewer interceptors than it had in 2025, leaving many cities with little or no protection.
The human cost of this imbalance is visible in the latest statistics. The United Nations reported that July 2026 was the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since April 2022. Russian strikes have repeatedly hit residential buildings, schools, and hospitals. Ukrainian officials say these attacks are designed to break civilian morale and force the government to surrender.
The Ukrainian military estimated that Russia fired more than 450 missiles of different types against Ukraine in July, including nearly 200 ballistic missiles. Many of these were
Source:ladepeche.fr News