Ukraine Looks Beyond Summer Offensive to a Crucial Winter in the War

Volodymyr Zelenskiy is asking Western allies to speed up deliveries of air-defense systems and interceptor missiles to prepare for another winter of intense bombing that could prove to be the next critical moment in Kyiv’s battle to resist the Russian invasion.

The topic came up during the Ukrainian president’s discussions with European leaders and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at a summit meeting in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, earlier this week, people familiar with the matter said. 

While the request isn’t new — Kyiv has been pressing allies to supply air defense systems continuously since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 — it’s now more urgent, because Ukraine’s power and heating facilities have become increasingly difficult to sustain after years of Russian air strikes against civilian infrastructure. 

During the first years of the war, the biggest shifts on the battlefield tended to happen outside of winter months. Since then, developments in drone technology have made offensive maneuvers increasingly difficult creating a stalemate on the frontlines. So winter attacks on urban centers, transport and energy infrastructure have become an important part of the fighting. 

According to the people briefed on the discussion, Zelenskiy told his allies that he’s expecting another Russian offensive this summer but the Kremlin’s forces have so far struggled to make significant gains and are suffering massive losses. 

With peace talks stalled, Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely betting the conflict in the Middle East will divert weapons away from Kyiv, leaving the country especially vulnerable during cold months, said the people, speaking on condition of anonymity because the talks are private. 

Freezing temperatures earlier this year combined with Russia’s relentless attacks on energy infrastructure left millions without heating, power and water for weeks in a major test of Ukraine’s resilience. 

Stockpiles of air-defense missiles have come under further strain as the US effectively stopped paying for military support to Kyiv, putting the burden on European allies to finance purchases of American-made weapons through the so-called Prioritized Ukraine Requirement List program.

Ukraine is particularly interested in obtaining US-made Patriot air defense systems and missiles. They are the only weapons produced in significant numbers that are able to effectively counter the most destructive ballistic missiles, which Russia is capable of producing in large quantities.

Zelenskiy asked partners during meetings in Yerevan to contribute to PURL with a focus on Patriots, the people said. European missile systems including the Franco-Italian SAMP/T are not seen as viable alternatives on their own in the foreseeable future, they said. 

There aren’t enough of them to go round and they would not be able to protect Ukraine’s skies on their own, according to the people.

“Every contribution to the PURL program matters,” Zelenskiy said in a public address to more than 40 European leaders and the Canadian prime minister at the gathering in Armenia. “We need new PURL packages this year, this May. This helps us defend against threats.”

‘Prepare for Winter’

The prospect of a protracted US war against Iran adds to Ukrainian worries, raising threats of spreading instability, rising prices and political shifts in Ukraine’s allied states, Zelenskiy said during the summit. 

Weapons supplies from the US and the European Union have played a crucial role in defending Ukraine’s sky from Russian attacks. However, Kyiv continues to face delays in deliveries, as well as the risk that US aid could be curtailed further under President Donald Trump’s administration. 

“We need to help each other prepare for winter and deal with energy challenges,” Zelenskiy said.

Kyiv is also pressing its EU partners to take the Russian threat more seriously by ramping up weapons production and procurement. Ukraine has proposed working with the bloc to jointly develop European anti-drone and air-defense systems, but some officials believe such projects will take time to materialize as a tangible option, the people said.

Ukraine appears to have regained the initiative in the fighting for now. Its drones are regularly hitting targets deep inside Russia, reaching to the Ural Mountains and communities where most people had seen the war as a distant problem.

Oil facilities and terminals have also been targeted as Kyiv tries to reduce a key source of the Kremlin’s funding for the war. Meanwhile, Russia’s spring offensive in Ukraine appears to be yielding only limited territorial gains so far, according to Bloomberg Economics.

Authorities in Kyiv also appear to recognize the need to prepare for the next cold season earlier than usual, according to their public assurances. Ukraine will need resources to repair shelters and damaged energy infrastructure, the people said.

“We need to focus on what we will do if Russia does not end this war,” Zelenskiy said.

With assistance from Aliaksandr Kudrytski.

©2026 Bloomberg L.P.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.