The missile war. Zelensky warns of a critical shortage of missiles

The US and Israel's war against Iran means that Ukraine may face a shortage of anti-aircraft missiles to defend against Russian attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Thursday in an interview with the British daily The Independent.

As he explained, the US and its allies fire hundreds of anti-aircraft missiles every day to deter retaliatory attacks from Iran, so fewer of them will inevitably hit Ukraine.

Zelensky pointed out that last year he unsuccessfully asked US President Donald Trump for a much smaller number of Tomahawk cruise missiles than the one the US now uses every day. – Two thousand? I don't know exactly… during the first two days. Do you know how much I asked the United States? I said 200 or give us even 100, he said.

The president acknowledged that the inevitable result of the shift in focus to the Middle East is that “(Ukraine's) air defenses may be weakened.” He disclosed that he had instructed commanders to prepare for expected air defense shortages due to the situation.

– My team knows about this and has already received a message from me that it must prepare for such challenges, Zelensky said. He stressed that he was not complaining, but it was a statement of an objective fact.

He also warned that the war against Iran may result in an increase in Russia's income from the sale of oil, as its price has already increased by almost 20 percent since the American-Israeli attack.

– Whether Russia will use this will depend on how our partners cooperate with the largest importers. That's why we have to work on it. We must continue working on sanctions, how to stop the shadow fleet and tankers with Russian oil, said the Ukrainian president.

Zelensky said that he does not expect drone attacks to weaken as a result of the operation against Iran, because although for a long time Russia relied on Shaheds imported from this country, it now produces them itself.

Zelensky: We have received a request from the US for support in the fight against the Shahed in the Middle East

“We have received a request from the United States for specific support in defense against the Shahed in the Middle East region. I have ordered to provide the necessary resources and the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can guarantee the required level of security. Ukraine helps partners who support our security and protection of the lives of our citizens,” Zelensky wrote in the Telegram messenger.

On Wednesday, CNN reported that US administration officials admit that Iran's Shahed drones pose a greater threat than expected. It was emphasized that American air defense would not be able to intercept all of them.

I will certainly accept any help, (…) from any country, US President Donald Trump said on Thursday in a telephone conversation with Reuters.

On Tuesday, Zelensky announced that Ukraine lacks PAC-3 missiles for Patriot air defense systems, so Kiev is ready to exchange its interceptor drones for these missiles with Middle Eastern countries.

A day earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said his country could send drone specialists to the Middle East and share their capabilities and expertise to help shoot down the Shaheds if Kiev's partners help bring about a ceasefire in the war with Russia.

Sybiha emphasized that Ukraine's effectiveness in neutralizing Iranian drones has reached 90 percent, partly thanks to the use of domestically produced interceptor drones.

From Kiev Iryna Hirnyk (PAP)

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