Ukraine was unable to shoot down any Russian missile during an overnight attack that left 17 people dead in Kyiv and the nearby areas.
The Russian army fired 115 drones and fired 28 missiles, including ballistic missiles, the Ukrainian air force said. President Zelensky urged allies to send more anti-ballistic air defense after the Russian attack.
“Ballistic interceptors are what could have saved the lives of those killed today. It is very important for partners to realize that delays in their deliveries or failure to provide anti-ballistic measures lead to such terrible casualties and destruction,” Zelensky said on social media.
Russia has enormously escalated attacks on Kyiv in recent months, firing salvos of hard-to-intercept ballistic missiles in short blitzes that rock buildings and send booms echoing across the city.
“Ballistic interceptors are what could have saved the lives of those killed today,” Zelensky said, announcing 17 people had been killed. Over 40 people were wounded in the capital and its surrounding areas, local authorities said.
Ukraine shot down 98 of the 115 drones fired by Russia overnight, the air force said. But it was unable to shoot down any of the missiles, preliminary statistics from the air force showed.
Meanwhile, besides urging the US for more Patriot interceptors, Ukraine is now pitching to license-produce Patriot interceptors domestically.
Zelenskyy made the case for the license in an interview with Face the Nation, stating that the US lacks sufficient anti-ballistic missile production capacity, while Russia has been ramping up domestic ballistic missile production.
“I sent a letter to the White House and to the U.S. Congress. I hope they will understand and respond,” the President stated, adding that the slow production could lead to a crisis in different parts of the world.
“60–65 anti-ballistic missiles per month, compared to current challenges, is nothing. It is no secret, and Russia knows this. We need to expand the production. I asked the previous U.S. administration, and I am asking today’s administration to give Ukraine licenses to produce Patriot missiles,” Zelenskyy.
“We can increase the production of Patriot missiles. This will help us. This will help the Middle East and any other country that the United States decides to help. Until we produce a European anti-ballistic system, we will need support from the United States,” he added.
There were about 2,500 Patriot interceptors in the US inventory before Operation Epic Fury was launched, and between 1,060 and 1,430 Patriots were fired during the hostilities, according to a report published by the US-based think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
However, Trump said the US must be “very careful” about giving Ukraine a license to produce Patriot air defense missiles.
“These weapons are incredible. We have to be very careful about letting somebody build them,” Trump said at the Camp David retreat in response to a question about allowing Ukraine to produce the missiles.
Zelensky met Trump at the White House as Kyiv and Moscow intensify long-range strikes after US-led diplomatic efforts to end the war failed. Zelensky said after the meeting that Trump had agreed to license Patriot production to Ukraine, but the US president only said that “many things were discussed” and “the meeting went very well!”
Meanwhile, the Pentagon signed a landmark seven-year framework agreement with Lockheed Martin earlier this year to more than triple the annual production capacity of PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptors — from roughly 600 per year to 2,000 per year by 2030. In addition, Boeing is reportedly tripling production of the critical active radar seekers for PAC-3 MSE missiles.
However, even increased missile production may not be enough to meet delivery obligations. For instance, the CSIS report posits that the US faces a challenge in delivering Patriots because it needs to replenish its own stockpiles, assist Ukraine in fending off Russian missile attacks, and meet the demands of 17 other nations that have ordered the interceptors.
“Current production of the latest variant—PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE)—is around the baseline rate of 650 interceptors per year, with half the deliveries going to the United States and the rest to allies and partners. The surge annual production rate with existing tooling and facilities is 2,000. Lockheed intends to scale up to this level,” it stated.
The think tank predicts that the US stockpile of Patriot interceptors would return to the pre-war levels only by mid-2029. This may have sparked concern in Ukraine that the depleted stockpiles and less-than-ideal production rate could impact deliveries to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and further embolden Russia.st.
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