In the wake of intensified Russian ballistic missile attacks, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky sharply criticized the current shortfall in missile defense capabilities during the NATO summit in Ankara. He stressed that Europe must urgently develop its own mass-produced anti-ballistic missile systems to counter Russia’s growing missile threat effectively.

Zelensky highlighted that Russia’s recent strikes exposed the limitations of Ukraine’s air defenses, particularly its reliance on Patriot interceptors supplied by the United States. During the latest wave of attacks, Ukrainian forces failed to intercept any of the 23 ballistic missiles launched but managed to shoot down the majority of drones and other missile types. This vulnerability stems partly from the limited number of Patriot missiles available for Ukraine’s defense.

The shortage of Patriot missiles has become a critical concern not only for Ukraine but also for NATO allies. US stockpiles have been heavily strained by multiple conflicts, including previous engagements with Iran and ongoing needs in the Israeli military campaigns across the Middle East. Current production capacity for Patriot missiles stands at around 600 units per year, requiring years to replenish stockpiles depleted in just a few months. This bottleneck results from the fact that only the US and Japan maintain full production lines for these advanced systems.

This supply limitation has spurred several European nations to boost their defense budgets and pursue greater autonomy in missile defense. Countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Poland, Estonia, and Lithuania have increased military spending, while a newly established European Defense Fund aims to strengthen collective security against Russia’s expanding threats.

Zelensky’s call places emphasis on the need for Europe to move beyond dependence on US-made interceptors by investing in scalable, cost-effective missile defense technologies. This shift reflects growing concerns about sustaining air defense readiness amid a multi-theater demand for scarce anti-ballistic missile resources.