Ukraine’s European allies have dwindling stocks of interceptor missiles for Patriot systems, with the scale of the problem becoming a serious issue.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously announced in 2026 that Ukraine received only one-third of the number of air defense missiles transferred to it from partners in 2025.
Particularly acute is the shortage of American Patriots, which are among the most effective systems available to Ukraine to combat Russian ballistic missiles.
The scale of the problem was evident during the Russian attack on Kyiv on Aug. 4. According to Ukrainian authorities, Russian forces fired 24 ballistic missiles and four cruise missiles. None of the missiles were intercepted.
Missile shortages are not only related to Ukraine’s growing demand. The availability of ammunition is also affected by the situation in the Middle East. The U.S. consumed significant amounts of missiles during the conflict with Iran, further straining the world’s stockpiles of such weapons.
Washington is in talks with Kyiv to allow Ukraine to produce Patriots on its own territory. In July, Zelensky announced that the possibility of granting Ukraine appropriate licenses had been agreed at the political level.
At the same time, European countries are trying to develop their own missile defense capabilities. Last month, European arms companies announced a plan to create a European interceptor system that would reduce the continent’s future dependence on American technologies.
According to Reuters news agency, the chronic anti-missile shortage could persist for some time, forcing Ukraine to make difficult choices about priority defense targets.
Controversial government decision
In July, there was a lot of talk about the transfer to Ukraine of PAC-3 missiles for Patriot air defense systems, which Poland purchased from the United States to defend against Russian Iskander missiles. The information that initially circulated on the Internet was later confirmed by the Minister of National Defense, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
Following the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran, Patriot anti-missiles became one of the most sought-after weapons in the world. According to U.S. press reports, Tehran’s retaliatory strikes against U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf have significantly depleted U.S. stocks of PAC-3 missiles.
