Ukraine needs only 5% of US Patriot missiles to survive the winter

Written by journalist Danylo Aleksandrov

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview he gave to CNN said that while Ukraine currently receives 1% of anti-air missiles for Patriot systems from US, it needs 5% to go through the winter, as the Russian attacks escalate.

Zelenskyy said that if US sold Ukraine 5% of its Patriot missiles stock it would be enough for Ukraine to successfully defend its cities and their populations from Russian attacks. He then added that if his country was to receive 10% of that stock, Ukraine would be able to destroy every incoming ballistic missile.

Zelenskyy hinted that while his country currently does not have the resources it requires to successfully defend itself, the talks to acquire more weaponry are already underway. He told that in 2026 Ukraine has around 2,5 less interceptor missiles than it had in 2025.

The interview happens during a period when Ukraine suffers from increasing Russian attacks against its civilian objects, including infrastructure that provides electricity and heat during cold seasons. Currently Ukraine has little to no means to shoot down the ballistic missiles, which are notorious for being difficult to intercept. This situation sparked fears about the next winter, as Russian attacks might leave the civilian population of Ukraine cold and without electricity, in turn cutting their access to a wide range of other vital services.

In July, Russia launched more than 450 missiles at Ukraine, with around 200 being the aforementioned ballistic ones. UN calls the recent periods of severe bombardments the deadliest for civilians since the Russian full-scale invasion began back in 2022.