Volodymyr Zelensky says air defense missile supplies have "dropped threefold compared with 2025"

Ukraine’s president said Wednesday that allied deliveries of missile-defense interceptors have fallen to a third of last year’s level, leaving his country largely unable to stop incoming Russian strikes. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking after an overnight barrage on the Kyiv area that killed 17 people and wounded about 50, said the shortage had affected all of the first half of 2026 and urged partner nations to release more munitions from their reserves. Ukrainian air forces reported shooting down none of the Russian ballistic and anti-ship missiles, an increasingly common result as stockpiles shrink. Russia has intensified such attacks, launching more than 120 in July alone. Ukraine depends mainly on US-made Patriot systems, but those interceptors are in high global demand. Zelenskyy said allied delays in supplying air-defense systems directly cause casualties and destruction and that faster deliveries would save lives.