Ukraine is shooting down nearly all Shahed drones and is calling on Europe to ramp up production of air defense systems, says Zelenskyy

During his speech at the NATO summit in Turkey, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine’s air defense system is intercepting about 90% of Russian Shahed attack drones. At the same time, he emphasized that Ukraine is successfully striking Russian military facilities and industrial targets deep behind enemy lines.

The head of state called on allies to join the Drone Deal initiative, which involves not only the purchase of drones but also their joint production.

“The Drone Deal is not just about buying drones, but also about joint production. This initiative provides rapid access to defense. I thank everyone who has already joined the initiative: the EU, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and the Gulf states. I hope we will cooperate to provide other countries with protection against threats,” Zelenskyy said.

The president paid special attention to defense against ballistic missiles, calling this area Russia’s last significant advantage.

“You need your own capabilities to produce anti-ballistic systems. We all value the Patriot system, but in today’s war, we have seen that Patriot production is insufficient to ensure protection against ballistic weapons,” the head of state emphasized.

Zelenskyy called on NATO countries to support the expansion of Patriot system production in Europe and to develop their own affordable anti-ballistic system as soon as possible.

“This cannot wait until 2030,” the president stressed.

He also added: “This is not about maximizing profits for governments and manufacturers, but about protecting hundreds of millions of Europeans. We are working to develop an anti-ballistic coalition.”

The president noted that strengthening air defense remains a key priority for Ukraine.

“We can handle everything else on our own,” Zelenskyy stated.

He also called on NATO member states to cooperate more actively with Ukraine across all areas of the defense-industrial complex, particularly in the production of drones.

At the conclusion of his speech, Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine’s future is inextricably linked to the North Atlantic Alliance.

“I want to express my gratitude for the stance taken by the leaders of those countries who have noted that Ukraine’s place is in NATO. Now NATO must respond to the risks of the modern world together with Ukraine—drawing on the strength of our defense industry, the resilience of our people, and their experience,” the president concluded.