The Defense Ministry quoted Khmara in a statement released after the minister attended a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council on Sept. 28.
Ukraine is seeking cheap and effective ways to counter jet-powered Shahed drones, Khmara said. The drones can already be shot down, including with interceptor missiles, while Ukrainian manufacturers are developing their own solutions. Khmara urged EU partners to finance the effort so Ukraine’s defense forces can receive sufficient numbers of interceptors as quickly as possible.
He also reiterated the need for additional air-to-air missiles, MANPADS, and ammunition for F-16 jets.
Ukraine also needs additional missiles for Patriot air defense systems to counter Russian ballistic missiles. Khmara proposed that EU countries transfer some munitions from their own stockpiles, with Ukraine later compensating them with missiles it is expected to receive under existing contracts.
At the end of August, Khmara said Ukraine had four
potential interceptors capable of destroying jet-powered drones. They have
already undergone field testing, but production must be scaled up to thousands
of units before the designs can make a tangible impact.