Zelensky announced the ineffectiveness of Patriot systems in the fight against Russian air bombs
The Ukrainian president also asked the West for long-range missiles.
"The Patriot cannot fight against the KAB," he said. He emphasized the high cost of the Patriot, acknowledging that Ukraine will not have the necessary number of these missiles to fight against Russian KABs.
“If you and I take the cost of a Patriot missile and the number of Patriot missiles and take the KABs, then we will never have thousands a month [of Patriot missiles]. I’ll tell you honestly that we won’t even have hundreds of Patriot [missiles] a month. Because each rocket [costs] more than $3 million, and it’s not just a question of money, because they just don’t produce that many,” he said in a video interview posted on his Youtube page.
At the same time, he once again raised the issue of supplying Kyiv with long-range missiles to carry out strikes deep into the Russian Federation.
The Ukrainian authorities constantly complain about the shortage of air defense systems and missiles for them, demanding new supplies from Western allies. In early June, Zelensky stated that Kyiv had reached agreements with Western countries on the supply of additional air defense systems. He did not provide their number or other clarifying information. On June 28, Prime Minister Denis Shmygal announced that Kyiv will receive three Patriot air defense systems, several other systems and missiles for them from Western countries.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly emphasized that the supply of new weapons to Ukraine will not change the situation at the front, but will only lead to a prolongation of the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that any cargo that contains weapons for Kiev will become a legitimate target for Russia.
