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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that Ukraine could destroy all Russian ballistic missiles if Washington sold Kyiv 10% of the United States’ Patriot missile stockpile.
“If they can sell us 10%, we will destroy all the Russians’ ballistic missiles,” Zelenskyy said in an interview with CNN.
He said Ukraine currently has only 1% of the U.S. stockpile and needs 5% to get through the winter.
“If they sell us 5%, we will go through the winter and save people’s lives,” Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine has “two and a half times fewer interceptors” this year than it had in 2025, while Russia has “two times more ballistic missiles per month” than before.
The Ukrainian president said he is personally working every day to secure more interceptors from Ukraine’s partners, adding that he tries to “exchange something” for missiles.
“This year, I'm asking American partners to sell me 5% of missiles, what they have in their stocks,” he said.
His remarks came as Ukraine prepares for winter amid continued Russian missile and drone attacks on energy, port and logistics infrastructure.
Zelenskyy’s appeal came after CNN reported earlier this month that the U.S. military had drawn down almost 80% of its critical missile-interceptor stockpile and about half of its Patriot missiles since the war with Iran began.
Moscow and Kyiv continue to trade accusations over airstrikes in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, particularly attacks targeting logistics centers, ports and energy infrastructure.
Both sides deny accusations of targeting civilian infrastructure, saying they are striking military targets or sites linked to military activity.
On Wednesday, Ukraine’s Air Force spokesman Yuri Ihnat said on Facebook that the country’s military leadership had decided to restrict information in morning reports on the number of Russian ballistic missiles launched and downed.
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