Zelensky Responds to Trump: 'We Will Produce Missiles Ourselves'
Ukrainian President announces acceleration of domestic anti-ballistic missile production, while Germany investigates suspicious drone incidents near Ukrainian aircraft.
Ukrainian President announces acceleration of domestic anti-ballistic missile production, while Germany investigates suspicious drone incidents near Ukrainian aircraft.
After US President Donald Trump told a White House meeting last week that he could not deliver Patriot missiles, Kyiv has decided to accelerate its own program. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Thursday that his country would produce anti-ballistic missiles itself, as part of the pan-European Freya project.
"Ukraine is capable of producing its own missile and its launcher, while our partners will provide the necessary components and critical elements: radar, sensors, and everything else," Zelensky said. "Others took decades to develop their own systems. Ukraine must do it as quickly as possible, with concrete results by the end of 2026-2027."
The Freya project was launched by the Ukrainian defense company Fire Point, aiming to produce interceptors through European cooperation as an alternative to Pac-3 missiles, which are crucial for American Patriot systems. It is precisely these missiles that Trump refused to deliver, a fact first reported by the Financial Times citing unofficial sources, and Trump's recent statements seem to confirm this.
"We need missiles too. Biden gave away a lot. He gave Ukraine weapons worth about 300 billion dollars," Trump said. CNN has reported in recent days that the US has used up half of its Patriot missile stockpile in the war with Iran. Trump denied a shortage, claiming Washington has "literally enormous amounts of ammunition," but remained reserved regarding Patriots for Kyiv.
Meanwhile, on August 7, 2026, Zelensky arrived in Serbia, a country with traditional friendly ties to Russia, where he will meet with President Aleksandar Vučić. On the social network X, he wrote that "Ukraine is always ready to work constructively, for mutual benefit and on the basis of mutual respect."
At the same time, Germany is facing a series of concerning incidents. The National Security Council, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, discussed an event on August 5, 2026, when a drone bomb was found at Leipzig Airport near four Ukrainian aircraft belonging to Antonov Airlines. According to Sueddeutsche Zeitung, one of these aircraft had transported ammunition from Paris eastward the day before, and then returned empty.
Just a day later, on August 6, 2026, two drones were spotted flying over a military base in Mechernich, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The Russian embassy in Berlin called the Leipzig incident a "hastily orchestrated provocation" aimed at blaming Russia for a hybrid attack. "The real threat to Germany is politicians who enthusiastically develop scenarios for a quick war with Russia," the embassy said.
Amid rising tensions, the Wall Street Journal cited US intelligence reports suggesting that Russian President Vladimir Putin could test NATO's resolve in the coming years with a limited attack on one of its member states. Scenarios range from a cyberattack to a minor ground intervention. Sources do not rule out that Putin might take such a risk due to difficulties on the battlefield in Ukraine and internal pressure to achieve victory.
