Ukraine's Patriot air defense systems are running on rationed missile stocks after a winter of intense Russian ballistic strikes, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said in an interview, per Censor. The shortage extends across other Western systems and is forcing Ukraine to rely on diplomatic channels for even targeted deliveries.
Patriot systems on a "starvation ration"
Ukrainian forces are among the world's most experienced operators of the Patriot system, Ihnat noted, but the missile stocks are running thin. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been raising the issue of replenishing air defense missile stocks, particularly anti-ballistic interceptors, in his nightly addresses, Ihnat said.
"Patriot systems capable of shooting down ballistic missiles are essentially on a 'starvation ration,'" Ihnat said, as Ukraine deploys an unprecedentedly broad range of air defense tools while running acutely short of ammunition.
The Air Force has been firing Patriots at about the same rate it receives them, possibly already having exhausted 1,000 missiles since taking delivery of its first batteries in early 2023.
Ukraine’s Patriot crews are rationing missiles mid-attack — Ukraine’s Air Force confirms interceptor missile shortage
PAC-3 is the only effective tool against Russia's ballistics
The most effective interceptor for ballistic threats is the Patriot's PAC-3 surface-to-air missile, Ihnat emphasized. The older PAC-2 missiles, originally designed for the same role, are now more often used against aircraft and other aerial targets, leaving PAC-3 stocks for the ballistic threats only they can stop.
Ihnat said Russia launched more than 700 missiles at Ukraine over the past winter, a significant share of them ballistic — including Kinzhals, Iskanders, KN-23s, and S-400s. Ukraine logged roughly 15 mass missile strikes in three months, on top of daily Shahed drone attacks. Russia's ballistic missile production runs at roughly 70 units per month, with many going straight from the factory to the launch site.
Shortage extends across Western systems
The intensity of Russia's strikes has drained missile stocks not only for the Patriot but also for other Western air defense systems supplied to Ukraine, Ihnat said, including NASAMS and IRIS-T.
Ukraine's leadership is actively working at the diplomatic level to secure missile supplies, holding talks with both military and political representatives across Europe and the wider world, Ihnat said. Even small, targeted deliveries can substantially strengthen defense against mass ballistic salvos, the Air Force spokesman noted.
Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has been negotiating joint production consortia with international partners to accelerate the manufacture of anti-ballistic missiles.
