Zelensky sent a letter to Trump requesting Patriot missiles

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sent an official letter to his American counterpart, Donald Trump, warning of a critical shortage of air defense systems, particularly PAC-3 missiles for the Patriot system. He also sent a copy of the message to the U.S. Congress.

This was reported by The Kyiv Independent and in comments made by Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Dmytro Lytvyn to journalists. The head of state’s appeal came amid intensifying massive attacks on Ukraine and public threats from the Kremlin regarding new strikes on Kyiv.

In his letter, the Ukrainian leader emphasized that the country relies almost exclusively on the United States for protection against ballistic missiles, as various friendly nations provide assistance in countering other types of missiles. According to Zelenskyy, the current pace of deliveries under the PURL program no longer matches the reality of the threat facing the country.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on behalf of the Ukrainian people, respectfully appealed to the President and Congress of the United States to continue participating in this process. He asked for help in securing this vital means of protection against Russian terror—Patriot PAC-3 missiles and additional systems—to stop Russian ballistic missiles and other Russian missile attacks.

Yuriy Ignat, Head of the Communications Department of the Ukrainian Air Force, stated that the version of the SAMP/T air defense missile system currently in Ukraine has not yet been used to intercept ballistic targets. 

Patriot air defense systems can shoot down submunitions from the Russian “Oreshnik” missile, stated military expert Maksym Narozhny.