"Russia's last resort": Zelenskyy reveals what the Kremlin is banking on

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine's biggest challenge in defending itself against Russian ballistic missile attacks is the shortage of air defense systems.

According to the president, Ukraine is facing an especially acute shortage of missiles for the Patriot air defense system.

"The problem with ballistic missiles comes down to one thing: we simply don't have enough means of protection. This is especially true when it comes to missiles for the Patriot systems," he said.

Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine has already demonstrated to its partners both the scale of its needs and its ability to strengthen the protection of civilians.

"It's simply absurd that, in today's world, production still hasn't been ramped up to the level that's actually needed to protect people from ballistic terror," he said.

The president notes that Ukraine has long been urging its partners to recognize that it is capable of producing certain types of defensive weapons.

According to Zelenskyy, if Ukraine were granted U.S. licenses to manufacture Patriot systems, the country's production capacity would be sufficient not only to defend Ukraine but also to help partners in need.

"If Ukraine received licenses from the United States to produce Patriot systems, our manufacturing capacity would be enough to protect Ukraine and assist partners who need them," the president stressed.

He added that Ukraine is in talks with every country that can provide missiles immediately.

Zelenskyy described securing those missiles as Ukraine's top priority.

"This is Russia's last resort for dragging out the war. Ballistic missiles are what Russia is banking on, and those who truly want peace should be betting on protection against ballistic missiles," the president said.