Zelenskyy warns Ukraine facing missile shortage as Iran war drains supplies

2026-03-18 - 10:50

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a stark warning Wednesday that his country faces a critical missile shortage as the ongoing war in the Middle East diverts Western resources and attention from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In an interview with the BBC, Zelenskyy expressed deep concern about the cascading effects of the Iran war on Ukraine's defense capabilities. Resources depleted on multiple fronts Zelenskyy argued that the situation is directly benefiting Russia through multiple channels. "In addition to energy prices, it means the depletion of US reserves, and the depletion of air defense manufacturers. So, we (Ukraine) have a depletion of resources," he stated. The Ukrainian leader predicted there would "definitely" be a deficit of Patriot missiles, describing it as "a challenge," and questioned "when will all the stockpiles in the Middle East be exhausted." He provided striking production figures to illustrate the scale of the problem: "America produces 60-65 missiles per month. Imagine, 65 missiles per month is about 700-800 missiles per year, produced each year. And on the first day in the Middle East war, 803 missiles were used." Peace talks postponed Zelenskyy revealed that ongoing tensions in the Middle East have caused peace negotiations regarding Ukraine to be "constantly postponed" due to the Iran war, which began Feb. 28 when the US and Israel launched their joint offensive. The conflict has killed approximately 1,300 people including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with Iran retaliating through drone and missile strikes targeting American assets across the region. The Ukrainian president admitted having a "very bad feeling" about the impact on his country's five-year war with Russia. Trump's position questioned Commenting on US President Donald Trump's approach to the Russia-Ukraine war, Zelenskyy suggested his American counterpart is deliberately avoiding taking sides "not to irritate" Russian President Vladimir Putin. Regarding relations between Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Zelenskyy expressed hope for a meeting to "re-load the relationship." "I would really like President Trump to meet with Starmer, ... so that they have a common position," he added, underscoring Ukraine's dependence on Western unity as resources become increasingly stretched across multiple global crises.