In the wake of the latest deadly Russian air strikes on Kyiv and other cities, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed frustration with his Western allies, urging speedier delivery of urgently needed Patriot air defense missiles and other weapons.
"We need answers to this Russian terror, real answers from the world," Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address on August 1.
Ukrainian air defense forces reported that this week alone Russia launched 1,900 drones, 1,600 gliding bombs, and 144 missiles against Ukraine.
"A significant portion of Russian companies that produce components for drones, various types of missiles, including ballistic, have still not been placed under sanctions. Therefore, the aggressor is now increasingly investing in ballistics and trying to scale up its production," Zelenskyy went on to say in a social media post on August 2.
"The world has Patriot missiles. What matters now is for our partners to make the political decision -- the decision to provide the necessary supplies," Zelenskyy said.
"The United States knows what we need. Europe knows what we need."
"Missiles to defend against ballistic missiles should protect people and not sit in stockpiles," he added.
Zelenskyy's comments come after Russia targeted the Ukrainian capital with ballistic missiles early on August 1 amid apparent renewed reluctance by US President Donald Trump to provide Kyiv with licenses to produce Patriot missiles for itself.
Emergency services in Kyiv said at least nine people were killed and dozens of others injured, including at least four children, in the Russian missile strike.
Zelenskyy said only one of 27 ballistic missiles was intercepted, mainly because there were no missiles for Patriot systems already in Ukraine’s possession.
Local authorities reported damage to residential buildings, a school, and the Lithuanian Embassy after more than a dozen explosions were heard across the city in the early morning hours.
Having made little to no territorial gains along Ukraine's more than 1,200-kilometer front line this year, Moscow has stepped up its missile attacks on Ukraine as country faces severe shortages of air defense systems capable of intercepting high-speed ballistic missiles.
Ukraine Hits Another Wildberries Hub
Ukraine, meanwhile, has adopted the tactics of targeting Russian oil refineries and storage facilities to starve Russian forces of fuel, as well as radars, air defense systems, and military industry on a daily basis.
On August 2, Zelenskyy confirmed that his country used mid-range drones to successfully strike a military airport, an oil refinery, and a logistics hub belonging to Russia's largest online retailer Wildberries in Saratov region.
Ukraine has accused Wildberries of supporting Russia's military logistics and selling dual-use goods, fueling Moscow's war effort. The allegations were denied by Moscow.
In recent weeks, Ukrainian forces have struck at least a dozen Wildberries warehouses across multiple Russian regions.
Ukrainian Pleas For Patriots
On July 9, the Ukrainian president said Kyiv and Washington had reached agreement on licenses for production of PAC-3 Patriot interceptors, adding that parts for the missiles were expected to arrive in the next few days.
However, Trump on July 31 downplayed earlier suggestions that Washington was ready to grant Kyiv a license to produce Patriot missiles itself.
"These weapons are incredible. We have to be very careful about letting somebody build them," Trump told reporters at a Cabinet meeting at Camp David, adding that his administration has "not agreed" to that yet.
"We're talking about it. But it's a hard thing to give away that kind of technology," he said.
Trump's apparent walk back on the licenses troubled US Democrats and even some of the president’s Republican Party members.
Congressman Don Bacon of Nebraska offered one of the strongest Republican criticisms of the move.
Speaking to RFE/RL on July 31, Bacon, a senior Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, accused the White House of sending contradictory signals at a time when Ukraine faces an escalating Russian missile campaign and an acute shortage of Patriot interceptors.
"While 70 percent of Americans support Ukraine, the policies of the White House make them appear to be in the 30 percent. Enabling the Ukrainians to build the Patriot would have helped relieve the shortage of interceptors we face today," Bacon said.
"I wish the president was more of a Reagan or Churchill when it comes to Russia," he added.
