Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on European allies to form a collective air defense effort following the heaviest Russian airstrike on Ukrainian territory yesterday, August 26, 2024. He suggested that such an air defense partnership could be modeled on the efforts in the Middle East, where European nations support Israel in intercepting missile barrages.
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Smoke rises over outskirts of Kyiv during Russia’s largest combined missile and drone attack to date, 26 August 2024. (Picture source: Maxym Marusenko)

In a speech to the nation and the world later in the day, the head of state stated that in various regions of Ukraine, much more could be done to protect human lives if the aviation of European neighbors worked alongside Ukraine's F-16s and air defense systems. If such a unit has worked so well in the Middle East, it should also work in Europe. Life has the same value everywhere.

The latest attack is considered the largest combined barrage of missiles and drones targeting Ukraine's critical infrastructure to date.

According to open-source intelligence from the Institute for the Study of War, Ukrainian Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk reported that Russian forces launched a variety of systems, including Kh-47M2 "Kinzhal" air missiles; Iskander-M or North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles; Kh-101 cruise missiles from Tu-95MS strategic bombers; Kalibr cruise missiles; Kh-22 cruise missiles; and Kh-59/69 cruise missiles. In total, nearly 100 missiles were fired from all available vectors, along with 109 Shahed/Geran-2 UAVs, both Iranian and Russian-made.

Overall, the strikes targeted more than half of Ukraine's regions, affecting 15 out of 24 regions. These systems primarily aimed at the country's critical infrastructure, causing significant damage to Ukraine's power grid. After the attack, Zelenskyy assured the nation that where there are power outages, restoration is already underway. However, open sources indicate that power has not been fully and continuously restored.

President Zelensky writing ‘Glory to Ukraine’ on a SCALP-EG missile carried by a Ukrainian Air Force Su-24 ‘Fencer’ strike aircraft. (Picture source:  Ukrainian MoD)

Zelenskyy's argument for European air support, though understandable, might not apply to Ukraine in the eyes of some European countries.

In April, France and the United Kingdom joined the United States and Jordan in responding to Iranian missile and drone barrages fired at Israeli territory. As a potential conflict threatens to spill over into Lebanon, north of Israel, the U.S. recently extended its support for ballistic missile defense on land, sea, and in the air.

Before that, on February 19, a European Union (EU) military mission—Operation Aspides—was established and is still ongoing in the Red Sea to defend freedom of navigation, intercepting Houthi strikes supported by Iran launched from Yemen. Recently, the force reported at least five fires on the main deck of a Greek-flagged tanker in the Red Sea on August 26.

Such an air defense policy between the EU and Ukraine contradicts the reasons justifying European air defense in the Middle East. In the Ukrainian theater, the notion of collective air defense would fall under NATO's auspices and could be seen as an escalation policy, as European air defense units would be directly deployed in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Several hours after Zelenskyy requested European air defense to strengthen Ukrainian networks, the president delivered another speech calling on European nations to provide long-range missile capabilities. This wouldn't be the first time European countries have provided long-range missile capabilities to war-torn Ukraine. In May 2023, the United Kingdom and France offered Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles to Ukraine. These weapon systems offer a range of over 250 kilometers.

In early August, the United States and Germany agreed to deploy medium-range weapons—Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles—on German soil by 2026. This decision was made to ensure some defensive parity against Russia's long-range cruise missiles and rockets, as part of the "tit-for-tat" defense policy that has become common since Cold War deterrence theory.

Today, Ukraine, believing that any country would use these long-range strike capabilities to defend itself, is requesting to be armed with these long-range vectors in order to retaliate as well.