Ukraine has completely run out of Patriot missiles to intercept ballistic missiles – CNN
Ukraine's stocks of interceptor missiles for US-made Patriot air defence systems have run out, leaving Kyiv more vulnerable to Russian ballistic missile strikes.
CNN reports this, citing a source familiar with the matter, according to Censor.NET.
Details
According to the broadcaster's source, "almost all ballistic missiles in the latest attack went unintercepted because of a shortage of missiles" for the systems.
During the overnight attack on 14 October, Russian ballistic missiles hit three power plants in Kyiv and targeted energy infrastructure in Kharkiv. Four people were killed and another 25 were injured in the capital that day.
CNN notes that this is not the first time Ukraine has completely run out of Patriot interceptors: in mid-August, its journalists became the first media representatives to gain access to one of these systems in Ukraine, and Ukrainian officials acknowledged at the time that almost no missiles remained.
Global shortage
The outlet writes that Patriot missiles are expensive and in short supply worldwide, as other countries have depleted their own stocks or are replenishing them amid the war against Iran. Patriot is one of the few systems capable of shooting down ballistic missiles.
Zelenskyy has been warning of a shortage of these missiles for several months. In August, he told CNN that he spent his days making "millions" of calls to allies to secure additional systems, while Ukraine had only a tenth of the interceptors it needed. A month later, he said the country would "obtain a licence to manufacture Patriot missiles" from the United States, but Trump never confirmed this, and no licence was issued.
- Zelenskyy previously reported that Ukraine had received three times fewer air defence missiles from its partners this year than in 2025, with hostilities in the Middle East cited as the official reason.
- The Financial Times reported that Trump had refused to provide 300 Patriot missiles to preserve US stocks amid the war against Iran. According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine needs 100–120 Patriot missiles per month in winter.
