President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the main focus of the war has shifted to the struggle for control of the skies, with Ukraine's biggest challenge being protection against ballistic missiles.
He made the remarks in an interview with the Financial Times, as reported by Ukrinform, citing the President's Telegram channel.
"This war is changing. Today, peace and victory are on the side of those who are smarter. It is very difficult for us, but our fighters have stopped the war on the battlefield – the line of contact – with their lives. The war continues, but the front is no longer moving. When the front line is barely moving and the enemy cannot advance by sea, that leaves the skies. Today, the fight is for the skies. This is a shift in the priorities of this war," Zelensky said.
He stressed that one major unknown in this equation is anti-ballistic missile defense.
"And this is a major problem. We were unprepared; we had no anti-ballistic programs, no such Soviet legacy. All of it went to Moscow and did not remain in Ukraine. We had no nuclear weapons, and without them, you are not in that 'club.' You are in the club of those who can be attacked," the President said.
Zelensky emphasized that the fight for control of the skies will be decisive.
"In the skies today, smarts will prevail. I am absolutely certain of that. If our partners do not abandon Ukraine when it comes to funding our resilience, if our guys soldier on and keep holding the battlefield, and if every kilometer costs the Russians tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of troops, then we will fight for the skies," he said.
As Ukrinform reported, following another large-scale Russian attack on Monday, Zelensky noted Ukraine's strong performance in intercepting drones and cruise missiles, though not ballistic missiles. He expressed hope that the NATO summit in Ankara would produce "strong decisions to support the defense of our skies."
