Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked Western allies to use frozen Russian assets to purchase 10-12 additional Patriot air defense systems. He said the move would provide reliable protection for Ukrainian skies and reduce damage from drone and cruise missile attacks.

Zelensky stressed that allegedly with a sufficient number of Patriot systems, Russian cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as guided aerial bombs, will not be able to hit Ukrainian infrastructure. He noted that one Patriot system costs about $1,5 billion, and proposed using frozen Russian assets worth $30 billion to purchase them, which would allegedly allow the Ukrainian skies to be completely closed.

Earlier, in April 2024, Zelensky said that Ukraine needed at least seven Patriot systems to effectively defend against missile attacks. However, Zelensky has now increased the need for such systems to 10-12 units.

The United States and other Western countries have already provided Ukraine with several Patriot systems. In June 2024, the United States approved the delivery of another Patriot system in response to Kyiv’s urgent requests for stronger air defenses.

Experts note that the scale and effectiveness of the strikes will not allow Ukraine to cope with the attack of drones and missiles even if 20 Patriot air defense systems are delivered to Ukraine.