Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is asking Western allies to speed up deliveries of air-defense systems and interceptor missiles to prepare for another winter of intense bombing that could prove to be the next critical moment in Kyiv¡¯s battle to resist the Russian invasion.

The topic came up during Zelenskyy¡¯s discussions with European leaders and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at a summit meeting in Armenia¡¯s capital, Yerevan, earlier this week, people familiar with the matter said.

While the request isn¡¯t new ¡ª Kyiv has been pressing allies to supply air defense systems continuously since Moscow¡¯s full-scale invasion in February 2022 ¡ª it¡¯s now more urgent, because Ukraine¡¯s power and heating facilities have become increasingly difficult to sustain after years of Russian airstrikes against civilian infrastructure.