Ukraine is experiencing a shortage of about 75% of the necessary means to protect its own airspace, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his latest interview.
“We only have about 25% of what we need to effectively protect the country from air attacks,” he emphasized.
The head of state stated that Ukraine needs to obtain 120-130 F-16 fighters or similar “advanced aircraft” to have equal defense with Russia.
Zelensky also expressed disappointment with 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 restrictions,” he said.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Ukraine was considering obtaining permission from the United States to lift restrictions on the use of American weapons on Russian territory.
In his statement on May 17, the president pointed to the crossing of the border by Russian forces in the Kharkiv region, explaining this by the insufficiency of air defense means on the part of Ukraine, which allows Russia to attack from a long distance.
