Zelenskyy Says Russia Could Have 1,300 Ballistic Missiles a Year

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia could have up to 1,300 ballistic missiles a year, while Ukraine’s Defense Ministry faces a $27 billion budget shortfall.

Speaking to journalists, Zelenskyy estimated Russia now has 600–630 ballistic missiles. He said Russia could reach about 100 per month by the end of winter, though production has not yet hit that pace.

Ukraine has an approximate understanding of the volume Russia expects during that period, he said. The country is trying to prevent Russia from reaching the higher total by weakening its military industry.

The effort includes strikes on military targets and other measures Zelenskyy called “anti-ballistic sanctions.”

Ukraine has become effective at intercepting other missile types, he said, citing combat aircraft, additional IRIS-T systems and Hawk systems. Missiles for the IRIS-T systems were also arriving to help counter Russian cruise missiles.

“But ballistic missiles are ballistic missiles,” Zelenskyy said.

For a winter package, Zelenskyy sought 300 missiles for Patriot systems, while Ukraine’s Air Force requested 360. He said only 600 such missiles are produced annually, making the requested quantity difficult to obtain.

Ukraine is working with other countries on additional options. Zelenskyy said he hoped the country could access 5% or 10% of U.S. stockpiles and was prepared to pay.

He argued that such an arrangement would allow the United States to refresh its stockpile while helping Ukraine through winter.

Defense funding

Zelenskyy identified ballistic missiles and defense funding as Ukraine’s two major challenges. The country is awaiting 30 billion euros in European funds tied to the adoption of relevant legislation.

He urged the entire parliament, including the opposition, to work on the legislation. Neither the government nor the opposition has that money, he said, and it is needed for the defense of the entire country.

The Defense Ministry’s $27 billion shortfall stems partly from decisions to use money in the first half of the year that had been scheduled for the second half, according to Zelenskyy. Those funds went toward drone production and other needs and must now be replenished and supplemented.

Of the total, $8 billion to $10 billion is needed in advance for weapons and other requirements for January 2027. Nearly $20 billion more would cover military salaries, payments to families of those killed and other funding needs.

Zelenskyy said he was working with France and Germany to bring forward the second portion of European funds allocated to Ukraine. He described that effort as extremely difficult.

Strikes and claims about Russia

Zelenskyy also said Russian President Vladimir Putin did not want to end the war, was expanding strikes and was waiting for winter.

He accused Russia of attacking Ukrainian civilian businesses and logistics, including Ukrposhta and Nova Poshta, since 2022.

According to Zelenskyy, those attacks led Ukraine to respond against Russian logistics through an operation targeting Wildberries. He alleged Wildberries was linked to military-goods supplies and substantial sums for Russia.

Zelenskyy described the operation as carefully calculated and as a logistical response to Russian attacks. He estimated direct losses in Russia at approximately 1 trillion rubles.

Including company debt, related losses for other businesses and individuals, operational restructuring and rebuilding, Zelenskyy put the total at 3 trillion rubles.

Ukraine also tracks the social impact of its operations inside Russia, he said. Zelenskyy cited Ukrainian figures suggesting more than 60% of Russian society wanted an end to the war or a ceasefire.

He further asserted that support for Putin’s government, referring to United Russia, had declined sharply.

Zelenskyy said Yabloko had initially been expected to receive no more than 3% to 4% support. He claimed its support later reached 11% to 12% and was continuing to rise.

Yabloko was then removed from an election ballot to prevent an alternative to the war and Putin’s rule, Zelenskyy alleged. He did not identify the election.

The supplied material does not independently confirm Zelenskyy’s Russian missile estimates, Wildberries loss figures, public-opinion data or election allegations. It contains no response from Russian officials or Wildberries.