Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his urgent call for Patriot missile defense systems from the US immediately after Russia's missile and drone attack on Kyiv, which killed at least 10 people and wounded dozens.
In a video message on X, Zelensky said: "The world has Patriot missiles. What matters now is that our partners make the political decision to provide the necessary packages. The US knows what we need. Europe knows what we need." The Ukrainian leader added: "Anti-ballistic missiles should protect people, not sit in storage."
93 percent of shelters deficient
Zelensky's call came around the same time as statements by former Ukrainian government spokesperson Iuliia Mendel, who said the country's civil protection crisis goes far beyond air defense. Mendel told Fox News Digital that "scandalous situations" had occurred with the shelters despite billions of dollars being spent.
Ukraine's Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said in June that they inspected 1,066 shelters nationwide and found deficiencies in 93 percent of them. He noted that some were locked, flooded, or unusable, and others were not accessible for the disabled.
Mendel argued that Zelensky had shifted the responsibility for the lack of protection within Ukraine onto the US and Western partners, saying, "You can't constantly beg for missiles. That's not how you protect the population." She described Ukrainians putting up "anti-drone curtains" and closing "missile-proof windows," and said their survival depended more on luck than on systematic state protection.
Scandal despite billions in spending
According to Reuters, Kyiv has spent billions of hryvnias on shelters since the full-scale invasion in 2022. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that after approximately 7 billion hryvnias were spent between 2022 and 2025, a repair budget of 1.1 billion hryvnias (about $26 million) had been allocated for 2026. Klitschko launched an audit on July 10 into how district administrations were using these funds.
Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi ordered a nationwide inspection of civil defense shelters after reports that civilians were unable to access shelters following a major Russian missile attack on July 30.
Zelensky sought 300 Patriot missiles from Trump
In an interview with Axios on July 29, Zelensky said he had urgently requested about 300 Patriot interceptor missiles from former US President Donald Trump before winter, stating, "We needed Patriots yesterday," and warning that domestic production could take one to five years.
Mendel, however, said she was "not sure 300 Patriot missiles would help," noting that Russia was concentrating guided aerial bombs on front-line areas from Sumy in the north to Kherson in the south, and that no missile system could stop them.
Zelensky had previously said on Fox News' "Hannity" that Trump had agreed to license the production of interceptors in Ukraine. But Trump later said there was no deal yet and that the administration was still evaluating the proposal. Speaking to reporters at Camp David on July 31, Trump said: "I don't think that will ever happen, but you know, the people you give that technology to could one day turn against you. So we have to be very careful."
International coalition and deficiencies
Ukraine and Finland launched the Civil Protection Shelter Coalition in May 2025. At its first meeting on November 27, members pledged more than €22 million (about $25 million at the time) for shelter construction and modernization.
But Mendel said thousands of shelters did not meet basic standards and that regular evacuations were being announced from dozens of villages and towns in front-line areas as Russia expanded its fire control. "Ukraine's civilian population is largely unprotected, not only because of missile shortages but also due to the absence of a comprehensive system to provide people with safe shelter and means of survival," she said.
