President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that 80% of Ukraine’s territory is not covered by air defense systems capable of intercepting ballistic missiles.
Statement on Ballistic Threats
Zelenskyy made the remarks in an interview with Tagesschau. He emphasized that his earlier statements at the Munich Security Conference about Ukraine’s shortage of air defense systems were not intended as criticism of partners. Instead, he said, the goal was to raise international awareness about the scale of the threat.
He was not going to say where Ukrainian Patriot systems are located. But Zelenskyy said that 80% of Ukraine does not have such systems against ballistic missiles. He added that if partner countries are unable to provide additional air defense systems, financial support should be allocated instead. Zelenskyy noted that he had discussed the issue with several allies, including Germany, Norway, the Nordic countries, and Canada.
Zelenskyy said that these systems are expensive and cost over a billion. One system costs between $1.5 and $2 billion. A single missile costs between $2 and $3 million, according to his words.
Ukraine operates a multi-layered air defense system that includes fighter jets, mobile fire groups, interceptor drones, and Patriot systems. Together, they protect cities from missile and drone attacks, including Shahed-type UAVs. However, among the systems currently in service with Ukraine’s Armed Forces, only Patriot is capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. Supplies of PAC-3 missiles depend on deliveries from international partners, while Russia continues to intensify its strikes.
Previous Statement on Ballistic Defense
On February 12, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov stated that Ukraine urgently needs additional capabilities to intercept ballistic missiles, highlighting PAC-3 missiles in particular.
Ahead of the Ramstein meeting, he wrote on social media that PAC-3 missiles for the Patriot system are the most effective means of countering ballistic threats. According to him, Ukraine critically needs such interceptors, as Russia aims to destroy the country’s critical infrastructure this winter. Fedorov called on partners to increase contributions to the PURL program, through which Ukraine receives PAC-3 and other critical interceptor missiles.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review reported on a massive Russian attack overnight on February 22, 2026, targeting Ukraine’s energy and civilian infrastructure. Russian forces launched around 300 attack drones and 50 missiles of various types against eight Ukrainian regions.
