Ukraine has essentially depleted its stockpiles of Patriot missile interceptors.
US Army photo by Capt. Frank Spatt
Ukraine's supply of Western-made missile interceptors has dropped threefold this year, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday. That loss of capability has effectively left Kyiv unable to defend itself against Russian missile barrages."Unfortunately, supplies of anti-ballistic capabilities from partners have decreased significantly this year," Zelenskyy said, adding that "the number of air defense missiles supplied has dropped threefold compared with 2025."The Ukrainian president said the shortage affected the entire first half of 2026, not just the summer months, and urged partner nations to release more interceptors from their stockpiles.Russia launched 24 ballistic missiles and four anti-ship missiles into Ukraine overnight in a large-scale attack that primarily targeted the Kyiv region. At least 17 people were killed, and nearly 50 were injured in and around the capital city, local officials said.Ukraine's Air Force said none of the Russian missiles were shot down. That outcome has become increasingly common for Kyiv in recent months as its air defenders face depleted interceptor stocks.Ukraine identified the ballistic missiles as the Iskander-M/S-400. The Center for Strategic Communications, a Ukrainian government operation, said that some of the missiles contained cluster warheads, which disperse smaller munitions over an area before impact.Video footage shared on social media showed a series of explosions in Kyiv in brief succession — consistent with cluster munitions. Business Insider could not independently verify the footage. Russia's defense ministry and its US embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
