Europe is scrambling to find more Patriot missile interceptors for Ukraine as Kyiv prepares for an expected Russian winter offensive, with Ukrainian officials warning that current supplies are being depleted faster than Western allies can replace them, POLITICO writes.
Ukraine is seeking hundreds of Patriot interceptors, particularly PAC-3 and PAC-2 missiles, which are among the few systems capable of effectively countering Russia’s fast-moving ballistic missiles. But new production will not come quickly enough, while the recent war with Iran has put additional pressure on US missile stocks. Several European countries that possess Patriot systems are also increasingly reluctant to reduce their own limited reserves.
“Over the last few months, Russia fires more missiles a week at us than we get from partners over months,” former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said. Ukrainian authorities reported that air defenses intercepted only 29 of 195 Russian ballistic missiles launched in July, while another 40 failed to reach their targets.
Germany, one of Ukraine’s largest military supporters, has already transferred Patriot systems and missiles. Berlin now faces the difficult task of meeting Kyiv’s urgent needs while retaining enough air-defense capacity to protect Germany and fulfill its NATO commitments.
