Ukraine is sounding alarms over the inadequacy of its air defense systems as Russian strikes intensify, with American Patriot systems—critical for intercepting ballistic missiles—in critically short supply.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged the United States to provide more ammunition for its Patriot air defence systems to counter Russian ballistic missiles, according to a document reviewed by AFP on Wednesday. The appeal underscores Ukraine’s almost total reliance on its Western allies to down Russian missile barrages, despite having pioneered a system for intercepting long-range drones that is the envy of some of the world’s most advanced militaries. The request comes just days after one of the worst combined missile and drone attacks launched against Kyiv since the Russia-Ukraine war more than four years ago, which wrought devastation across the capital.