NATO Seeks Urgent Air Defense Supplies for Ukraine as Russia Steps Up Attacks Ahead of Winter

As Russian strikes with ballistic missiles intensify and Patriot interceptors dwindle, NATO is seeking to provide Ukraine with the air defense capabilities the country “urgently needs.”

The NATO chief said that allied countries were working to bolster Ukraine’s defenses. At the same time, President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia was preparing to significantly expand missile production before winter arrives.

The alarm followed a Russian attack carried out overnight on Wednesday, when Moscow launched 24 ballistic missiles at Ukraine. Ukraine’s Air Force reported that dozens of drones had been shot down by defense systems, but none of the ballistic missiles was intercepted.

Zelensky urged Western partners to increase deliveries of Patriot interceptor missiles. These systems are among the few capable of neutralizing Russian missiles of the Iskander-M, S-400 and Zircon types.

According to the Ukrainian president, the allies are supplying far fewer air defense missiles than they did last year. He also expressed concern that Russia could launch a new wave of attacks against energy infrastructure during the winter.

Ukrainian defense technology advisers estimate that Russia’s production capacity could reach as many as 100 ballistic missiles per month. They could be directed at logistics hubs, industrial plants and critical infrastructure.

The Patriot missile shortage has deepened after a large number of interceptors were used during the US-Israel conflict with Iran. Producing new units takes time, so the current shortage is not expected to be resolved immediately.

NATO announced that the first facility in Europe for the production of Patriot missiles is expected to begin operating in Germany in the coming months. In parallel, the United States and Ukraine are considering the possibility that Kyiv could eventually produce some of the components for these systems itself.