Today, 24 September, Russia carried out three waves of ballistic attacks. In Kyiv, 60% of the ballistic missiles were shot down. He said he would have liked it to be more, but that this is no longer 0% or 10% as it was earlier this year, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at a briefing, a recording of which was released by the President’s Office.
He recalled that nothing was being shot down not because of a lack of experience, but because of a lack of missiles. US President Donald Trump, at a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart on 22 September, confirmed his readiness to grant Ukraine permission to produce missiles for Patriot air defence systems under licence.
The question is when. The Ukrainian side returned to discussing this issue after each round of talks.
“President Trump confirmed once again: the licences, he said, we will hand all of this over, Ukraine will produce Patriot. That is the case. But when? Ukraine will be able to produce it technically after an appropriate period of time. We have strong companies, but there is still a great deal of preparation needed, because this is very serious production. And winter is right here, very close. Closer than the ability to produce Patriot under American licences,” the President said.
That is why other solutions are needed, and work is under way on them. Right now, Ukraine is gathering air defence missiles one or two at a time. It has to take steps like this, which can only be spoken about after the war.
“No one is talking about hundreds, no one is discussing thousands. Yet hundreds are being assembled one or two missiles at a time. It is extremely difficult work. And these two, three, five missiles are given exclusively leader to leader, and in no other way,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
He added that at present only face-to-face meetings can help in obtaining air defence systems. Only the United States can help on a large scale, despite a major shortage and half-empty stockpiles because of the war in the Middle East.
“We are working with everyone. With Europe, the United States, and not only them,” he added.