Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has revived his plea for more air defence support, urging the United States to grant Ukraine licences to manufacture Patriot missile systems locally as Russia continues to intensify its aerial attacks across the country.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine's air defence forces had once again demonstrated their effectiveness by intercepting nearly all of Russia's overnight cruise missile attacks. But he said the country’s biggest vulnerability is that it is limited in its ability to respond to ballistic missiles due to a lack of Patriot interceptor missiles.
The appeal comes as Ukraine is preparing for high-level talks with Western allies to have the military and its allies to offer further support amid one of the heaviest waves of Russian missile and drone attacks in recent months.
Zelenskyy Calls for Patriot Production in Ukraine
Zelenskyy said all six Russian Kalibr cruise missiles launched overnight were intercepted, along with 31 of the 33 cruise missiles fired during the attack.
"Whenever the necessary capabilities are available, our warriors deliver truly high interception rates," the Ukrainian president said.
But he said Ukraine still faces big challenges in defending against ballistic missile strikes.
"That is the only explanation for the problem with ballistic missiles—an insufficient number of interceptors. That is especially true for Patriots."
He argued Ukraine already has the industrial capacity to manufacture Patriot systems if the United States grants the suitable production licences.
"We have long made the case that we are capable of producing such defensive weapons ourselves. If Ukraine were granted U.S. licences to produce Patriots, our own production would be sufficient both to protect Ukraine and to help partners in need," he said.
Zelenskyy said that acquiring more air defence missiles is Ukraine's highest defence priority as Russian attacks continue to escalate.
Russia Steps Up Missile and Drone Campaign
According to Ukrainian officials, Russia launched 68 missiles and 351 attack drones in one of its latest large-scale assaults, targeting Kyiv and several other areas.
While Ukrainian forces successfully intercepted the majority of drones and cruise missiles, ballistic missiles once again penetrated existing air defence systems because of the shortage of Patriot interceptors.
All six Kalibr missiles were shot down last night, and 31 out of 33 cruise missiles were intercepted, meaning whenever the necessary capabilities are available, our warriors deliver truly high interception rates. That is the only explanation for the problem with ballistic… pic.twitter.com/epI2kCyy3D
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 6, 2026
The latest bombardment damaged more than 10 locations in Kyiv, including residential apartment buildings, public facilities and civilian facilities.
Two large-scale missile attacks carried out in less than a week have left more than 50 civilians dead and more than 100 others hurt in the region of Kyiv, officials said.
The recent assaults have involved more than 700 missiles and drones, including ballistic and advanced hypersonic missiles that can challenge current air defence systems.
The attacks damaged more than 30 residential high-rise buildings in Kyiv, including a kindergarten and an ambulance station. Secondary explosions caused widespread disruption and nearly 140,000 people suffered power outages. Electricity and water supply in Lviv, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv were also affected.
Ukraine Strikes Deep Inside Russia
And Ukraine has also expanded its long-range strike capabilities as Russia intensifies its aerial offensive.
According to Ukrainian officials, the improved "Fire Point" drones recently targeted an oil refinery in Russia's Omsk region, about 2,500 kilometres from the Ukrainian border. The strike apparently interrupted fuel supplies to Russian military operations.
A further escalation of war has raised international concern. And the United Nations Human Rights Office has warned that deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure and energy facilities could constitute violations of international humanitarian law and may constitute war crimes.
And the EU is also drawing up a new package of economic sanctions against Moscow in response to the revived wave of attacks.
With the conflict now in its sixth year, Ukraine is going to continue to press its Western allies for faster military assistance, arguing that more air defence capability—including domestic Patriot missile production—will be needed to defend civilians from more sophisticated Russian missile strikes.
