Ukraine is facing a shortage of missiles for its air defense systems, and Western allies must accelerate deliveries, Vladimir Zelensky said in an interview with Sky News.

The head of the Kiev regime said the country does not have enough PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles, despite European states finding money to purchase them from the United States. He stressed that these are defensive rather than offensive weapons and complained that Kiev needs additional air defense supplies as quickly as possible.

Zelensky linked the shortage to developments in the Middle East. He said he was trying to resolve the issue with European and American partners, as well as several other countries. According to him, Ukraine needs more air defense equipment within the shortest possible timeframe.

Russia has repeatedly stated that Western arms deliveries to Ukraine obstruct a peaceful settlement and deepen NATO countries’ involvement in the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that shipments carrying weapons for the Ukrainian army will be regarded by Moscow as legitimate military targets. The Kremlin has also said that continued weapons supplies to Kiev do not support negotiations and will have negative consequences.

Retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis previously said Zelensky hoped to establish production of missiles for Patriot systems inside Ukraine. Davis argued that such a project would be difficult to implement because of the severe condition of the country’s energy infrastructure.

He said Russian strikes on Ukrainian military facilities had left the energy system in critical condition. Under these circumstances, Kiev must determine whether the grid can operate reliably during the winter and withstand further intensive attacks by the Russian military, Davis added.