Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has appealed to 40 partner countries to urgently transfer Patriot missiles from their existing stockpiles to Ukraine this month in exchange for future deliveries already contracted for Ukraine.
According to Ukrinform, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry announced the initiative on Telegram.
"The Minister of Defense of Ukraine has already sent letters to nearly 40 partner countries requesting the immediate transfer of Patriot missiles from their existing stockpiles this month in exchange for future deliveries contracted for Ukraine. He also called on partners to contribute to the PURL and JUMPSTART mechanisms. These are the fastest and most reliable ways to deliver the Patriot missiles Ukraine urgently needs. It is critically important that decisions be made before the NATO Summit," the ministry said.
The Defense Ministry stressed that the speed of partners' decisions will directly affect the protection of Ukraine's airspace, critical infrastructure, and the lives of its people.
According to the ministry, intercepting ballistic missiles remains Ukraine's greatest air defense challenge due to the shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles.
