🟩 ZELENSKYY TO NATO: UKRAINE IS ALREADY FIGHTING THE WAR OF THE FUTURE
Speaking at the NATO Summit in Ankara during the defense industry forum, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a powerful message: Ukraine is no longer simply defending itself—it is reshaping modern warfare.
According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine now eliminates around 30,000 Russian soldiers every month, with drones playing the decisive role on today’s battlefield.
He also revealed that Ukraine’s air defenses now intercept around 90% of Russian Shahed drones, with thousands being destroyed every week as Russia continues its campaign of nightly aerial attacks.
Zelenskyy highlighted another major transformation at sea. Ukrainian naval drones have evolved far beyond their original purpose and are now multifunctional platforms capable of striking targets at sea, on land, and even in the air. What began as a way to challenge Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has become one of the most innovative weapons systems of the war.
He pointed to Ukraine’s growing long-range strike campaign, saying there is no major Russian oil refinery that has not been attacked by Ukrainian drones or missiles. From Yaroslavl to Omsk, Ukraine has demonstrated that strategic military and energy infrastructure deep inside Russia is no longer beyond its reach.
Zelenskyy argued that Ukraine now possesses the world’s most advanced drone capabilities, inviting allied nations to participate in the Drone Deal initiative and expand joint development and production.
Turning to air defense, he renewed his call for urgent action, urging partners to support the licensed production of Patriot systems in Ukraine while accelerating the creation of a European ballistic missile defense network.
He closed with a question aimed directly at NATO’s leaders:
“Is it really right to leave a country with such a level of defense capability outside NATO?”
The question carries increasing weight.
Over more than four years of full-scale war, Ukraine has transformed from a military largely dependent on foreign equipment into one of the world’s leading innovators in drone warfare, electronic warfare, long-range precision strikes, and modern battlefield adaptation. Many of the tactics now being studied by NATO militaries were first developed under combat conditions by Ukrainian soldiers.
Zelenskyy’s message was clear: Ukraine is not asking to join NATO because it needs others to fight its war. It argues that its battlefield experience, technological innovation, and hardened military would make the Alliance itself stronger. 🇺🇦