Russia fired nearly 2,000 drones at Ukraine in one week, Zelensky says
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Russian forces launched nearly 2,000 strike drones against Ukraine over the past week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 14.
Overall, Russia fired 1,920 combat drones, 1,790 guided aerial bombs, and 17 missiles of various types, he said.
“We need to step up our countermeasures against these attacks. We are preparing for meetings with partners to strengthen our defense against this Russian terror,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
He noted that the upcoming G7, EU, and NATO summits are an opportunity to secure concrete decisions.
“First and foremost, we need support for air defense and our long-range capabilities, an expansion of cooperation in the Drone Deals format, and further strengthening of sanctions pressure on Russia,” Zelensky said.
Russia has stepped up its large-scale attacks on Ukraine in 2026, with the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reporting May as the deadliest month for civilians since April 2022. More than 2,000 civilians were killed or injured in Ukraine in May, according to the mission.
Ukraine continues to face a pressing shortage of anti-ballistic defenses amid large-scale Russian attacks that increasingly rely on ballistic missiles. U.S.-produced PAC-3 Patriot interceptor missiles remain the most effective systems for countering these threats.
Earlier, on April 14, Ukraine’s president said the country’s stock of U.S.-made Patriot air defense missiles was facing a critical shortage.
Ukraine has repeatedly raised concerns that the U.S. is using Patriot missiles to shoot down Shahed-type drones, which Ukrainian forces primarily intercept using cheaper weapons, including interceptor drones.
Ukrainian developers have created a range of lower-cost alternatives for countering drones, in particular anti-drone interceptors. Yet when it comes to Russian ballistic missiles such as the Iskander-M and Kinzhal, Ukraine remains dependent on foreign assistance, particularly PAC-3 interceptor missiles.
