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Norway Ready to Help Strengthen Ukraine’s Air Defenses, Zelenskyy Says
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Norway has expressed its readiness to strengthen assistance for Ukraine’s air defense and support efforts to build Europe’s long-term protection against ballistic missile threats, following talks between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
In a statement released on June 3, Zelenskyy thanked the Norwegian leader for his support and condolences following Russia’s latest large-scale missile and drone attack on Ukraine.
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“It is important that Ukraine is not alone when Russia carries out such terrorist attacks,” Zelenskyy said. “We discussed supplies for air defense. Norway is ready to help. Thank you.”
Beyond immediate military assistance, Zelenskyy said the conversation focused on developing European capabilities to counter ballistic missile threats. He described the creation of a robust anti-ballistic defense system as a shared task for European nations.
“We are also working to ensure that Europe has its own anti-ballistic capabilities. This is our common task, and we must fully accomplish it and provide Europe with a sufficiently strong system to protect against ballistic threats,” Zelenskyy stated.
He added that a stronger continental missile defense network would enhance security across Europe, not only for individual countries but for all Europeans.
The Ukrainian president also said preparations were underway for upcoming meetings with international partners, noting that “special formats” of cooperation would be announced in the near future.
The development comes as Ukraine’s air defense forces neutralized more than 57,000 Russian aerial threats during May 2026, including 111 missiles and tens of thousands of drones, according to the Ukrainian Air Force on 2 June.
The military said air defense units across the country successfully intercepted a broad range of Russian airborne weapons throughout the month. Among the targets destroyed were two Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles, 50 Kh-101 cruise missiles, 10 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, 11 Kalibr cruise missiles, 14 Kh-59/69 guided air-launched missiles, and 24 Iskander-K cruise missiles.
Unmanned aerial vehicles accounted for the vast majority of intercepted targets. According to the Air Force, Ukrainian defenders shot down 5,053 Shahed-type attack drones, 1,316 reconnaissance drones, and 50,894 drones of other types during May.
Overall, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, 3,578 buildings in Kyiv have sustained damage of varying severity, including 71 that were heavily damaged, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
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