Zelenskyy: Ukraine intercepts most drones and many cruise missiles, but ballistic missiles still a challenge
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine's Air Force is shooting down over 90% of attack drones and a significant number of cruise missiles, while ballistic missiles remain difficult to counter due to a shortage of Patriot interceptors. He spoke on the occasion of Ukraine's Air Force Day.
Speaking at an event marking Ukraine's Air Force Day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine continues to face difficulties in defending against Russian ballistic missiles, largely because of a shortage of Patriot air defence interceptors. At the same time, he noted that the Air Force is destroying a significant share of enemy cruise missiles and more than 90% of attack drones.
Zelenskyy said that Russian President Vladimir Putin now places his hopes on massive strikes against Ukraine, and that Ukrainian combat aviation is working to break those plans. The Air Force, he explained, successfully destroys cruise missiles and attempts to intercept ballistic ones, especially when Patriot batteries are not empty.
The president also thanked European partners for their cooperation, which has allowed Ukraine to operate IRIS-T, Hawk, and NASAMS systems. He stressed that Kyiv works every day to secure missile supplies for these systems and expressed gratitude to partners worldwide for their assistance.
While acknowledging that ballistic missiles remain a challenge, Zelenskyy pointed out that Ukraine has managed to protect itself from a substantial portion of cruise missiles and is shooting down many of them. He called the interception rate of over 90% for attack drones a truly significant achievement for the entire country.
Zelenskyy also praised the personnel of the Air Force, saying they accomplish the incredible and go beyond the maximum, despite fighting an unequal battle amid a shortage of air defence interceptors.
