Zelenskyy on the scale of the drone war and Ukraine's response
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia is launching massive daily attacks on Ukraine with hundreds of drones and missiles, and emphasized that Ukraine is gradually building up its own capabilities to respond in kind. According to him, in the future, Ukraine must reach a level that will force Russia to “feel the war at home.”
Russia launches hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at Ukraine every day, and this has already become a constant reality of war to which Ukraine is forced to adapt, while simultaneously building up its own capabilities for response and defense.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made this statement during a joint press conference with the leaders of Northern European and Baltic countries, explaining how the balance in the air war is shifting and why Ukraine is betting on the development of drone technologies. “Russia is launching about 650 drones and between 35 and 100 missiles at us every day. We are responding. Of course, we don’t currently have the same number of assets, but we have 300–350 assets that we are deploying, and we will reach the number that will allow us to fully counter them,” Zelenskyy said.
He emphasized that Ukraine’s strategy lies in gradually building up its own offensive and defensive capabilities to eventually achieve parity, which will change the nature of the war and force Russia to feel the consequences of the attacks on its own territory. “Russia understands that if there are 600 drones and missiles, they will feel this war the way we feel it. They will feel it at home,” the president noted.
Separately, Zelenskyy pointed out that the Russian army is already using electronic warfare systems to attempt to interfere with Ukrainian drones, altering their course; but Ukraine is also actively using electronic warfare—primarily to protect civilian infrastructure that Russia regularly attacks, including schools and kindergartens. At the same time, he said, Russia may attempt to use such technologies outside Ukraine as well, influencing the situation in European countries and spreading disinformation about alleged Ukrainian attacks.
Zelenskyy emphasized that one of the Kremlin’s goals remains to drive a wedge between Ukraine and European societies, as well as to weaken international support for Kyiv. “That’s what they wanted from the very beginning—to divide us, to reduce European societies’ support for Ukraine,” he said.
The president also presented the Drone Deal format to his partners, which involves not only the supply of drones but also the exchange of technology, expertise, and rapid-response systems, as well as the training of specialists in partner countries. “We are ready to send our expert teams to all these countries; we are ready to educate, train, and protect them from such incidents,” Zelenskyy emphasized.
Separately, he called for increased sanctions pressure on Russia, stressing that economic restrictions remain one of the key tools for deterring Russian aggression and limiting its resource capabilities. The head of state made this statement during a joint press conference with the leaders of Northern European and Baltic countries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Europe must take a direct part in negotiations to end the war, rather than acting as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia.
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The Finnish Air Force will conduct special exercises to repel drone attacks in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, as well as in the Kymenlaakso and South Karelia regions, which border Russia.
