Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is preparing to press Nato allies for urgently needed air defence systems at an upcoming summit in Turkey. His appeal comes with heightened urgency after Russian missiles struck the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, twice in less than a week, hitting residential blocks and resulting in the deaths of over 50 civilians.
The Nato gathering, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in Ankara, will also provide President Zelensky with an opportunity for a crucial meeting with Donald Trump. During this discussion, Zelensky intends to argue that Russia’s “brutal” attacks are a sign of weakness, not strength, and that President Vladimir Putin should be compelled into negotiations for a “dignified” peace.
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte has called on member states to “pull their weight” to ensure Ukraine receives the necessary support “to defend its sovereignty.” Rutte highlighted that Kyiv is “changing the dynamic on the battlefield,” referencing efforts to halt Russian ground troops in the east and recent drone strikes that appear to give Ukraine an advantage. Zelensky himself expressed hope that the meeting in Turkey would not be “empty.”
The intensification of the war in the skies has brought significant challenges for Kyiv, particularly from Russia’s ballistic missiles. While Ukraine’s air force issues daily reports on intercepted weapons, a recent Monday attack saw almost all drones successfully blocked, but not a single ballistic missile was stopped. These missiles, which fly at several thousand kilometres per hour, are difficult to counter, and Ukraine currently lacks sufficient US-made Patriot air defence missiles.
Expressing his frustration in a video address on Monday, President Zelensky stated, “It is simply absurd that, in today’s world, production has still not been scaled up to the level actually required to protect people from ballistic terror.” He has urged European allies to transfer their own stockpiles of Patriot missiles, emphasizing that they are of no use in storage while civilians are being killed in Ukraine. Zelensky argues, “Russia is placing its bets on ballistic weapons, and those who want peace must place their bets on protection against ballistic attacks,” as he prepares for his meetings in Ankara. However, Patriot systems are in short supply globally, and it remains uncertain how many would be adequate if Russia further escalates its ballistic attacks. Consequently, Zelensky is also exploring the possibility of Ukraine producing its own equivalent with Nato assistance.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s deep strikes appear to be unsettling the Kremlin. After years of Russia targeting Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, including power stations in mid-winter, Moscow now accuses Kyiv of “terrorism” for its drone attacks on Russian oil refineries. These Ukrainian strikes aim to pressure Putin into peace talks on terms acceptable to Kyiv, which do not include surrendering the entire eastern Donbas region, a demand still made by Moscow.
High-profile targets have been hit, including an oil terminal in St Petersburg before Putin’s economic forum in June, and a refinery in Moscow itself, which generated viral explosion videos. More recently, a confirmed hit on an oil refinery in Omsk, Siberia, 2,500 km from Ukraine’s border, demonstrated the drone’s ability to fly undetected for many hours, exposing the stretched nature of Russia’s own air defences.
Ukraine’s influence efforts also extend to Crimea, the peninsula seized by Putin in 2014 and deeply significant to him personally. Ukrainian drones are now almost daily targeting military logistics, oil refineries, and power plants there, leading to power cuts, fuel and food shortages, and an official state of emergency. A local resident described the situation to the BBC as “catastrophic,” drawing parallels to the turbulent 1990s following the collapse of the USSR. Even Moscow is now experiencing danger from drone strikes and widespread fuel rationing.
Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, reported that anti-air defences intercepted “most” of the 430 unmanned aerial drones launched by Ukraine towards the capital overnight, though the extent of the damage was not immediately clear. Russian social media accounts have shown videos of people queuing for hours to buy petrol and even fighting over the limited supplies.
President Zelensky will convey to Nato, and attempt to persuade Trump, that Ukraine has shifted the momentum in this war, and that its campaign of pressure, with international assistance, can compel Russia into genuine peace negotiations. While Trump has recently appeared impressed by Ukraine, he did speak with Putin for 90 minutes by phone this week, allowing the Russian leader to present his narrative first. Above all, Kyiv seeks to end this war swiftly, whether “through strength or diplomacy,” before the onset of another harsh winter. To achieve this, Zelensky will argue, Ukraine critically needs more interceptor missiles to safeguard its cities and civilians.
