Ukraine lacks about 75% of the necessary means to protect its own airspace, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said in his latest interview.
"We have only about 25% of what we need to effectively protect the country from air attacks," he emphasized.
The head of state said that Ukraine needs to get 120-130 F-16 fighters or similar "advanced aircraft" in order to have equal protection with Russia.
Zelensky also expressed disappointment with the restrictions on the use of Western weapons for strikes on Russian territory. "They can attack us from their own territory by any means, but we cannot respond in kind because of their limitations," he said.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Ukraine considered the possibility of obtaining permission from the United States to lift restrictions on the use of American weapons on the territory of Russia.
In his statement on May 17, the president pointed to the crossing of the border by Russian forces in the Kharkiv region, explaining it as the lack of air defense equipment on the part of Ukraine, which allows Russia to attack from a long distance.
