Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the country’s access to air defence systems had declined as it prepared for new Russian attacks during the winter months. He said Ukraine’s access to US-made Patriot interceptors had decreased.
In a statement published on Sunday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was expected to receive 264 Patriot interceptors in 2026. He noted that this figure was lower than the 364 interceptors expected in 2025 and the 675 received in 2023.
Russia’s possible troop recruitment
The Ukrainian leader said Russia could recruit 300,000 additional troops for the war after its parliamentary elections in September. Russia’s parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place from 18 to 20 September.
Zelenskyy said the recruitment could be carried out in the country’s remote regions rather than its central cities and could develop into what he called “peripheral mobilisation.” He also argued that Russia could increase its total troop numbers to 500,000 in 2027.
Fighting in Donbas and reciprocal attacks
Zelenskyy said Russian forces were continuing their advance to seize the remaining part of the industrialised Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. Referring to fighting around the strategic city of Kostyantynivka, the Ukrainian leader claimed that Russia had suffered heavy troop losses in its attempt to advance towards the cities described as the “fortress belt” in the east.
Assessing Ukraine’s gains in the southeast, Zelenskyy said that in 2026 the amount of territory occupied by Russia and the amount retaken by Ukrainian forces would be equal.
Zelenskyy also said Russia had increased its air attacks on Ukrainian cities and aimed to develop the capacity to produce 1,300 ballistic missiles a year. During the summer, Ukraine increased drone attacks on oil refineries and online retail warehouses that it said were linked to Russia’s war capacity.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Ukraine had opened “Pandora’s box” by attacking economic targets. Putin said Russia would respond by targeting Ukraine’s “most vulnerable economic sectors.”
Air defence and funding needs
Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian air force had requested 360 missile interceptors for the winter period and that the country was preparing for a difficult winter because of new Russian attacks on its energy grid. He announced that Ukraine had reached an agreement with France this year on at least one SAMP/T air defence system.
Zelenskyy said an agreement had also been reached with Germany on the supply of approximately 600 PAC-2 and PAC-3 interceptors by 2028. He said Ukraine faced a $27 billion funding gap this year because of increased defence spending and noted that at least $8 billion was needed to make a normal start to 2027.
The Ukrainian leader said approximately $20 billion was also needed for military salaries, payments to the families of soldiers who had died and other expenses.
