Pence: Stopping ballistic attacks in Ukraine will 'take the last fighting tool out of Vladimir Putin's hands'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed his former defence chief Mykhailo Fedorov's proposal for a wartime election, describing it as a "huge risk" for the country. Zelensky stated that elections during wartime could split Ukraine, adding that such an action would be akin to "a tsunami for the country" that could lead to its destruction.

Ukrainian law currently prohibits elections during wartime, a rule which had not been challenged until Fedorov's public call earlier this week. The Ukrainian leader made these remarks during a press conference with reporters, discussing the ongoing conflict with Russia and the challenges his government faces in curbing Moscow's deadly air strikes.

Russia's recent strikes in the eastern Donetsk region and northeastern Kharkiv city have inflicted casualties and property damage, while a drone attack on a passenger train traveling from Zhytomyr to Odesa in the Odesa region has also raised concerns. Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine's priority lies in targeting Russian ballistic launchers, which he noted can only be neutralized by US-designed Patriot systems.

Currently, Ukraine has received 264 Patriot missiles, a significant decrease from the 364 in 2025 and 675 in 2023. Zelensky also mentioned that Ukraine is working on producing Patriot missiles domestically, following a green light from the United States. Furthermore, the president highlighted that both Russia and Ukraine are developing their own versions of Starlink, a satellite system for battlefield communications typically controlled by US entrepreneur Elon Musk.

Russia, along with China, aims to have their alternative operational by December. In response, Ukraine intends to implement a similar project in collaboration with a European nation. However, Zelensky cautioned that the challenging situation in Ukraine might be exacerbated by a $27 billion defense funding gap this year, following higher-than-anticipated defense spending in the first half of 2026.

The country requires at least $8 billion for a normal start in 2027 and an additional $20 billion for other expenses, including military salaries and assistance to the families of fallen soldiers. Despite these challenges, Ukraine has secured a deal with France for at least one SAMP/T air defense system this year and is receiving about 600 PAC-2 and PAC-3 interceptors from Germany until 2028.

Additionally, Norway pledged $9.2 billion in aid for Ukraine in the 2027 fiscal year, matching the amount provided in 2026.