Zelenskyy pushes Nato for air defence shield after Russia fires 400 weapons at Kyiv

Ukraine's president is demanding serious action this week. Zelenskyy wants stronger air defences discussed at the Nato summit in Ankara, coming off a brutal night where Russian forces unleashed over 68 missiles and around 350 drones on the capital. Eleven people died in the strikes.

Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, threw her weight behind him. She confirmed the topic will be on the table in Ankara, and made it clear Europe isn't backing down. "We will keep increasing the pressure until Russia ends the bloodshed," she posted on X.

The numbers are staggering. Over 400 drones and missiles in a single night — that's the scale of what Kyiv's dealing with. And it's not random. Russia keeps targeting civilians and infrastructure, which is why air defence has become the urgent ask from Ukraine's government.

Europe's already moving money around to help. The EU released the first €4 billion from a €90 billion loan package last week, specifically to bolster Ukraine's defences with advanced drone tech. Von der Leyen signalled more cash is coming soon.

The sanctions angle matters too. Europe's working to finalize a 21st sanctions package against Russia within days. It's the stick to go with the carrot of defence aid — keep squeezing Moscow economically while arming Ukraine to survive the onslaught.

So when Zelenskyy calls for "strong decisions" at Ankara, he's not being vague. He wants hardware, funding, and political commitment. And based on von der Leyen's messaging, at least some of Europe's leadership seems ready to deliver.