Zelenskyy warns of severe air defense deficit in letter to Trump and Congress
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sent an urgent letter to President Donald Trump and the U.S. Congress warning of a critical shortage of air defense systems in Ukraine, the President's Office told journalists.
Earlier, the Kyiv Independent reviewed the contents of the letter.
“When it comes to air defense against missiles, we rely on our friends. When it comes to defending against ballistic missiles, we rely almost exclusively on the United States,” the letter says.
Zelenskyy also asked the U.S. president and Congress to help Ukraine obtain Patriot PAC-3 missiles and additional air defense systems to protect against Russian attacks.
The letter also says Ukraine is having difficulty obtaining U.S. weapons through the PURL program.
“The current pace of deliveries through the PURL program is no longer keeping up with the reality of the threat we face. I ask for your help in protecting Ukraine's skies from Russian missiles,” Zelenskyy wrote.
On April 16, after another Russian attack, Zelenskyy instructed Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk to urgently contact partner countries that had pledged to provide Patriot missiles and other air defense systems, as missile stockpiles continued to shrink.
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