"Winter is coming, obviously, and the last winter was very hard for Ukraine and for big cities in general. Ukraine continues to rely heavily on the U.S.-made Patriot PAC-3 missile defense system to intercept Russian ballistic missiles, while domestic defense companies race to develop indigenous technologies capable of strengthening the country's air defense network. However, Terekh acknowledged that creating advanced missile defense systems is a long-term process. He predicted Russia would continue fighting through the winter but suggested growing military and economic pressures could eventually force Moscow toward a ceasefire. For Ukrainian defense leaders, however, success will still depend heavily on continued Western military assistance.