Ukraine needs 10 percent of the U.S. Patriot interceptor stockpile to defend itself against Russia’s ballistic missile attacks, President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed on Wednesday.
Zelensky’s ‘Millions’ Of Calls
Hypersonic Missile. Image Credit: U.S. Military.
Typhon Hypersonic Missile. Image Credit: YouTube Screenshot.
The Ukrainian leader told CNN he had been making “millions” of phone calls in a bid to negotiate more of the U.S.-built missiles.
He explained: “This is what I live each day: from 1% to 5%. I have some months, and millions of phone calls … I try to exchange something for missiles … I do some things which I can’t even share. It doesn’t mean that it’s outside of the law. But I can’t speak about it.”
He said the White House was among those he had been lobbying, but did not disclose the status of his talks with the Trump administration.
Russia’s aerial assaults on Ukraine have risen sharply in recent weeks as it seeks to take advantage of the fact Kyiv is struggling with a critically low supply of the high-tech interceptors.
The Patriot is the only weapon Kyiv has access to that can intercept ballistic missiles.
Zelensky specifically estimated that around one-tenth of American stockpiles would suffice in allowing Ukraine to defend itself against Moscow’s almost nightly ballistic missile attacks, while 5 percent would be enough to get Ukraine through the coming winter.
“This year we have two and a half times fewer interceptors than we had in 2025. Russia has two times more ballistic missiles per month than they had before,” he explained.
Ukrainian Civilian Casualties Rise
The United Nations estimates that July was the worst month yet for Ukrainian civilian casualties in a single month since March 2022, with some 437 people killed and 2,610 injured.
In the first seven months of the year, 1,839 Ukrainian civilians were killed and 10,638 injured.
The statistics show a 44 percent increase in total casualties compared with the same period in 2025.
This uptick is largely down to Russia increasing long-range strikes on Ukrainian territory, including urban areas.
Zelensky said that if Washington “sells us 5%, we will go through the winter and save people’s lives. If they can sell us 10%, we will destroy all the Russians’ ballistic missiles. I have 1%.”
The U.S conflict with Iran has strained supplies as the U.S. and the Gulf states are expending Patriot interceptors to tackle hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks.
Trump ‘Careful’ Over Sharing Patriot Tech
It comes after Trump told Zelensky: “We’re going to give a license to you to make Patriots,” before later backing out of the deal.
The interceptors were initially developed by U.S. defense contractor Raytheon. Lockheed Martin is currently the prime contractor for PAC-3 interceptors used by the Patriot systems.
In the days following reports on this update, Trump signaled uncertainty over the idea, stressing that the U.S. had to be “very careful” about licensing the technology.
While the U.S.-led peace talks have stalled in recent months, Kyiv issued fresh proposals on the matter this week.
The Financial Times reported that Kyiv paused attacks on certain oil tankers using Novorossiysk following a July 31 request from U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance. It has carried on striking Russian military, fuel, and other infrastructure in the region.
Russia, for its part, is stepping up attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure and shipping, alongside its aerial bombardments of cities and towns.
Putin Has ‘No Plans’ To Stop War
While Zelenskyy did not offer specifics during his CNN sit-down, he told them: “We need more involvement of the American side in the peace plan. I’m thankful to the team of President Trump for wanting to continue. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin doesn’t want to stop this war now and (there’s) not enough pressure on him now.”
He continued to dismiss any prospect of Ukraine conceding fortified territory in the Donbas that Russia has failed to seize but continues to demand.
Last month, neighboring Poland declassified its military aid to Ukraine, revealing that it has transferred five Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Kyiv.
Warsaw will also reportedly decide whether to offer Ukraine more of its missiles “in the coming days”, Deputy Defense Minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka has said.
About the Author: Georgia Gilholy
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.
