Ukraine’s allies convene in Kyiv as Zelenskyy seeks air defence boost
‘Coalition of the Willing’ leaders gather on Independence Day as Kyiv presses for air defence supplies.Ukraine will host a meeting with its key European allies to discuss air defence and press for greater press...
‘Coalition of the Willing’ leaders gather on Independence Day as Kyiv presses for air defence supplies.
Ukraine will host a meeting with its key European allies to discuss air defence and press for greater pressure on Moscow as Russia continues to escalate missile attacks.
The “Coalition of the Willing” meeting in Kyiv will be jointly chaired by the leaders of France and Germany, who will join remotely, and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who arrived in the Ukrainian capital early on Monday.
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European Council President Antonio Costa is also attending in person.
![UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham lays flowers at the tomb of the unknown Ukrainian soldier during a ceremony at Ukraine's national military memorial cemetery as the country marks the 35th anniversary of its independence, in Hatne southwest of Kyiv on August 24, 2026 [Henry Nicholls/Pool via Reuters]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/2026-08-24T085935Z_1192808379_RC2W4NAHH1BG_RTRMADP_3_UKRAINE-CRISIS-COALITION-BURNHAM-1787566404.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
Kyiv is expected to seek additional interceptor missiles from allies after weeks of Russian missile and drone attacks that have driven record numbers of the capital city’s residents to metro stations and basements to seek shelter.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made frequent public appeals for more air defence supplies from allies.
The meeting takes place on Ukraine’s Independence Day and comes a day after the country marked National Flag Day, when a group of leaders from Nordic and Baltic countries met Zelenskyy in Kyiv and pledged to boost their support for Ukraine.
Norway said it would provide another 85 billion kroner ($9.1bn) in 2027, matching the support it gave Ukraine this year.
Escalating air attacks
Russia and Ukraine have escalated air attacks with drones and missiles in recent weeks, striking targets far beyond the front line.
Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian logistics sites, carrying out attacks on locations linked to e-commerce companies Wildberries and Ozon.
Ozon reported fires early on Monday at its warehouses in four cities including Krasnodar and Makhachkala, both in southern Russia, adding that sites in Adygeysk and Nevinnomyssk were evacuated due to threats of drone attack.
Russian authorities said two children were killed and nine other people were wounded, including seven minors, when drone debris hit a private childcare centre in Krasnodar on Monday. Debris also fell on apartment buildings and set warehouses alight in the city, Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said.
In the Stavropol region, which hosts many chemical production facilities, Governor Vladimir Vladimirov said a drone attack on an industrial area had been repelled early on Monday.
In Ukraine, at least two women were killed and five people injured when a Russian drone hit an electric train in the Kharkiv region on Sunday, regional officials said. An attack on the outskirts of Kharkiv city killed three people and injured eight.
Ukraine’s allies have pledged to boost Ukraine’s depleted air defences in the face of Russia’s growing missile attacks.
Before the meeting, Zelenskyy said deliveries of crucial Patriot interceptors had halved since 2023.
“Over the entire of 2023, Ukraine received 675 missiles, and over all of 2025 – 364, even though Russian missile strikes have increased,” he said.
“For 2026, as currently projected, it is 264,” he added, saying Ukraine was seeking a package of at least 300 for the upcoming winter.