Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged for increased air defense support, stating that the decisive battleground in the war with Russia has shifted from land and sea to the air.
In an interview with the Financial Times ahead of the NATO summit in Turkey, which begins on July 7, Zelensky said, "I believe that today the victory in this war goes to the smarter side." He emphasized that Ukraine has successfully held back Russian forces on the battlefield and pushed back the Russian fleet with maritime drones, declaring, "The next battlefield will be the sky." He added, "We have moved into the air domain. And in the air, we are already competitive."
Zelensky assessed that Ukraine's ability to produce and operate long-range drones has changed the dynamics of the war, allowing Ukraine to strike deep into Russian military and energy facilities, thereby burdening Russia's war capabilities.
During the interview, Ukrainian drones attacked an oil refinery in Omsk, Siberia, approximately 2,500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The Financial Times reported that this attack appears to be Ukraine's deepest strike targeting Russian oil facilities.
Ukraine's Weakness is Air Defense
Despite these advancements, Zelensky identified air defense as Ukraine's greatest vulnerability. He stated, "There is still one unknown. Unfortunately, it is ballistic missile defense. This is Ukraine's biggest weakness in this equation."
Ukraine possesses air defense systems capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles, such as the U.S.-made Patriot and the French SAMP/T, but they are significantly lacking in quantity. According to the Financial Times, on the day of the Russian attack, Ukraine failed to intercept any of the 29 ballistic missiles launched by Russia.
Ukrainian authorities reported that Russia launched hundreds of drones and dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles in the attack, resulting in at least 15 deaths and 43 injuries. Last Thursday, Kyiv experienced its deadliest Russian attack of the year, with 31 fatalities.
Zelensky lamented that PAC-3 interceptors for the Patriot system sometimes arrive just before large-scale attacks, highlighting a shortage of air defense munitions. He asserted that if Ukraine can maintain its front lines and continue receiving financial support from partner nations, the decisive battles will take place in the air.
At the NATO summit, Zelensky plans to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump and other NATO leaders to request additional air defense systems. He acknowledged that each country has its own standards for air defense systems and missile stockpiles but emphasized the need to share technology and industrial capabilities to enable Ukraine to produce its own air defense systems.
Zelensky stated, "Europe can no longer afford to be negligent on this issue," adding that there will never be enough Patriots for everyone. He has been advocating for securing production licenses for Patriots for years and is awaiting positive signals from the U.S.
He also indicated plans to intensify attacks on military facilities and logistics networks in Russian-occupied areas, particularly in Crimea. He explained that the goal of the attacks on Crimea is to target military bases, ammunition depots, airfields, missile launch sites, and the supporting logistics networks.
Furthermore, Zelensky argued that large-scale drone attacks on Moscow and St. Petersburg would exert psychological and economic pressure, potentially altering Russian President Vladimir Putin's judgment. He stated, "When there are not 100 drones heading toward Moscow, but 1,000, he will understand," adding, "The further Putin is from Moscow, the closer the end of the war will be."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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