Ukraine tries to replenish Patriot missile stockpiles before winter - Politico
Ukraine is facing a severe shortage of interceptor missiles for its Patriot systems amid expectations of a new wave of Russian strikes on energy infrastructure. Kyiv is asking its allies to increase supplies and funding, but no specific commitments have been made yet.
According to Censor.NET, Politico reports on this.
A series of diplomatic meetings this week—including those attended by EU defense ministers and NATO ambassadors—did not yield any concrete guarantees for Ukraine regarding an increase in the supply of interceptors.
According to the publication, Ukraine's stockpile of Patriot missiles is virtually depleted. The NATO PURL program remains the main reliable supply channel, accounting for about 95% of deliveries.
At the same time, the amount of aid provided under this program amounts to only about 10–20 missiles per month. By comparison, in July alone, Russia launched 195 missiles at Ukraine.
The allies are in no hurry to transfer their own missiles
The situation is complicated by a global shortage of interceptors. Countries that have stockpiles of PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles—including Greece, Spain, Japan, and South Korea—are reluctant to transfer them to Ukraine due to their own security needs and tensions in their respective regions.
The shortage is also being exacerbated by the United States' need to replenish its own stockpiles after using hundreds of missiles during combat operations against Iran.
Ukraine needs 300 Patriot missiles for the winter
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the country needs to acquire 300 Patriot interceptors to get through the winter.
Among Ukraine's other priorities are AMRAAM, IRIS-T, and AIM-9X missiles, HAWK systems, as well as investments in domestic production of drones and long-range artillery.
Germany plans to announce new IRIS-T deliveries in September, while France and Italy have pledged to deliver Aster 30 missiles by October.
Russia is preparing new attacks
According to intelligence reports, the Kremlin is preparing new ground offensives and massive missile and drone strikes.
At the same time, Russia is deploying faster and cheaper jet-powered versions of the "Shahed" drones. In response, Ukraine is testing four domestically developed prototypes designed to counter such drones.
Against this backdrop, Kyiv’s financial capacity also remains limited. In 2026, Ukraine’s defense budget deficit is estimated at 23 billion euros, and funding for the PURL program falls significantly short of the target of 12 billion dollars.
At the same time, NATO is preparing another 4–5 military aid packages for Ukraine.
