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He believes this clearly shows how important the missiles are when countering Iranian-designed drones.
Volodymyr Zelensky said that in just three days of combat in the Middle East, more than 800 Patriot interceptor missiles were fired, The Kyiv Independent reports.
Speaking at a press briefing on March 5, he said that total exceeds what Ukraine has received during Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“Ukraine has never had this many missiles to repel attacks. More than 800 have been used over the past three days alone,” Zelensky said according to the outlet.
In an interview with The New York Times, Zelensky said that Ukraine had received 600 Patriot missiles during the more than four years of war.
Missile gap grows
The comments came after tensions escalated in the region following U.S. and Israeli strikes on several Iranian cities on Feb. 28 that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
Zelensky recalled that when Ukraine first faced Iranian-made Shahed drones in 2022, the country relied on every available defense system to stop them.
Over time, Ukraine developed significant experience countering the drones, he said, but shortages of key air-defense weapons remain a major challenge.
“Everyone understands that Patriot (missiles) are not enough,” Zelensky said.
Military Watch Magazine reported on March 6 that the United States had used Patriot missiles worth more than $2.4 billion during five days of fighting in Iran.
Sharing expertise
In the interview with The New York Times, Zelensky also said that Ukraine had sent a team of anti-drone experts and interceptor drones to Jordan to help protect US military bases.
According to the Ukrainian president, the US requested help Thursday last week, although the White House has not confirmed this.
Zelensky added that Kyiv is ready to exchange its growing expertise in drone interception for additional missiles, though he did not specify potential partners.
Sources: Ukrainian Presidential press briefing statements, Ukrainian government communications, The New Voice of Ukraine, The Kyiv Independent, The New York Times
