Kiev: Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has urged the establishment of a domestic production facility for Patriot air-defense missiles in response to a massive Russian assault on Kiev that resulted in over 20 fatalities.
According to Ghana News Agency, Zelensky emphasized the need for local production of these missiles to ensure reliable protection of Ukrainian lives. In his nightly video address, he discussed the potential for European manufacturing partnerships in Ukraine or specifically in Kiev, collaborating with allied nations to achieve this goal.
Ukraine has received air-defense systems from Western allies, including US-made Patriot batteries and Germany's IRIS-T systems. However, the missiles required for these systems are both expensive and in limited supply. This shortage is further intensified by the ongoing conflict involving Iran, initiated by US President Donald Trump and Israel, leading to a spike in global demand for sophisticated air-defense munitions.
Zelensky expressed hope that Washington would permit Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missiles under a licensing agreement. On Thursday, Ukraine's Defence Ministry highlighted the significant challenge of intercepting ballistic missiles due to diminishing stocks of Patriot interceptors.
The ministry also reported that Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov recently reached out to nearly 40 partner nations, seeking deliveries of Patriot missiles from their current inventories in return for future replenishment shipments that have already been negotiated.
For more than four years, Russia has engaged in a full-scale war against Ukraine. Ukrainian officials reported that a large-scale overnight attack on Kiev resulted in the deaths of over 20 individuals and left more than 80 others injured.