Zelenskyy speaks about Ukraine's Patriot missile needs and agreements with Germany

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine needs up to 360 missiles for Patriot air defence systems this winter, and stressed that Germany has agreed to supply several hundred PAC-2 missiles in 2027-2028.

Source: Zelenskyy speaking to journalists on 23 August, as cited by Interfax-Ukraine and reported by European Pravda

Details: According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine needs 300-360 missiles for Patriot air defence systems, while a total of 600 such missiles are produced per year.

Quote: "I wanted to find 300 Patriot missiles for the winter package. The request from our Air Force is 360. But when only 600 are produced a year, 360 is not easy to come by. We're working with countries on additional options. And I'd really like to believe we can find a way to get some small percentage of US stocks – say, 5% or 10%. And we're ready to pay for that supply. That way, America could replenish its stockpile, and we could get through the winter. Such a political decision by America regarding the supply of missiles could change a great deal, both in terms of protecting lives and diplomatically."

Details: Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said he had agreed with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the supply of 600 PAC-2 missiles for 2027-2028.

"PAC-2 can also shoot down ballistic missiles, you just need more of them," the president noted.

Zelenskyy also spoke about talks with the American side.

Quote: "The Americans are seriously increasing production in the second half of 2027 and beyond. But that takes time, unfortunately. So we keep talking to them now about the volumes we need – the volumes are actually there."

Details: The president said Ukraine received 675 missiles throughout the whole of 2023, while in 2025 it received 364, even though Russian missile strikes have increased over that period. In 2026, deliveries of 264 PAC-3 and PAC-2 missiles are planned.

Quote: "PAC-3 is what we receive from the US through the PURL programme. All our partners – both the Americans and the Europeans – understand exactly how much money they're transferring and exactly how many missiles they're giving us. There are also some separate bilateral agreements with individual European countries and Middle Eastern countries. But you can see there's unfortunately a downward trend, and that depends primarily on the American side."

Background:

• The same day, Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine will receive new radars for its air defence systems, following a call with French President Emmanuel Macron.
• According to the Financial Times, US President Donald Trump turned down Zelenskyy's request for hundreds of additional Patriot interceptor missiles, citing America's own needs in the Middle East.
• Trump has also backtracked after earlier positive signals that he might grant Ukraine a licence to produce Patriot missiles, saying he has not yet made a final decision.

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