At a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine's Independence Day, Andrii Melnyk said Russia is losing the war and cannot sustain a prolonged attritional fight.
5.8 trillion roubles—about $69.2 billion—of Russian budget deficit in January-April already exceeded Moscow's full-year 3.8 trillion-rouble plan, while oil and gas revenues fell nearly 40% year on year.
Melnyk said the strain is being driven by huge military spending, Western sanctions and Ukrainian strikes on Russia's oil and gas sector, citing the reported dismissal of VEB.RF economist Andrei Klepach after critical comments.
Patriot interceptors were his main ask: Melnyk said Russia is exploiting Ukraine's air-defense shortages with intensified ballistic attacks on civilians and urged partners to send all available missiles from stockpiles.
He also called the Security Council's inaction shameful, pressed for harsher sanctions on Russian weapons producers and demanded curbs on Moscow's veto power.