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At NATO, Ukraine Pushes for More Anti-Ballistic Missiles While Committing to Domestic Production
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Ukraine expects new decisions on strengthening its air defenses, including anti-ballistic capabilities, while simultaneously accelerating domestic missile defense production, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said during the NATO Summit in Ankara on July 8.
According to a UNITED24 Media correspondent, Sybiha said strengthening Ukraine's air defense remained the country's top priority and expressed confidence that allies were moving beyond declarations of support toward concrete commitments.
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“Air defense remains the priority. I can share my impression that everyone understands this—not only by expressing solidarity in words, but that there will be concrete decisions to strengthen our air defense capabilities and, of course, to better protect Ukrainian skies.”
Sybiha said Ukraine is working with a number of countries that possess anti-ballistic interceptor missiles in their stockpiles, both in Europe and beyond, to secure additional supplies.
According to the minister, Kyiv is engaging these partners through multiple diplomatic channels and with the support of allied governments advocating on Ukraine's behalf.
“It is true that we have partner countries acting as advocates, helping us engage with third countries to make this happen, and we are grateful for that. In effect, support and advocacy groups have already been formed to achieve concrete results in strengthening Ukraine's anti-ballistic capabilities with the assistance of our closest allies. I am convinced that these decisions will be made,” Sybiha stated.
At the same time, he said Ukraine is expanding its own capacity to develop anti-ballistic air defense systems domestically.
The minister also highlighted the rapid growth of Ukraine's defense industry, saying its expansion had fundamentally altered the balance on the battlefield. According to him, one of Ukraine's key international partners estimated that the country's defense sector has increased its production capacity 54-fold since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
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“One of our key partners cited a figure showing that Ukraine's defense industry has We have already deprived Russia of many of the advantages it had in 2022. That has been possible thanks to the capabilities of Ukrainian soldiers and the growth of our defense industry. One of our key ministers, and I have the privilege of sharing this figure, said that Ukraine's defense industry has expanded 54-fold,” Sybiha said.
Sybiha also pointed to the growing impact of Ukraine's long-range strike capabilities, saying Kyiv's asymmetric operations were strengthening its negotiating position while demonstrating that Russia's war effort was becoming increasingly unsustainable.
“Ukraine is achieving success. Ukraine is effectively carrying out asymmetric operations that significantly strengthen our negotiating position. And there is one more point,” the minister noted. “I believe it is becoming increasingly clear—indeed, strikingly clear—that for Putin this war has not merely gone off plan; it is leading him toward collapse.”
During the same event, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said Bulgaria has exhausted its available stockpiles of weapons and ammunition for Ukraine but will continue supporting Kyiv by repairing Ukrainian military equipment.
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