Lack of missiles: Air Forces announce Patriot systems shortage

Ukraine’s Patriot air defense systems are operating effectively, but they are facing a significant shortage of missiles. Yurii Ihnat, the head of the Communications Department of the Ukrainian Air Forces, has reported this.

According to him, despite the high level of training among Ukrainian military personnel, stocks of interceptors remain limited.

"The Patriot systems, capable of shooting down ballistic missiles, are effectively on a 'starvation diet,'" Ihnat noted.

He emphasized that Ukrainian operators have significant experience working with these systems, but the key problem is precisely the shortage of ammunition.

This primarily concerns PAC-3 missiles, which are considered the most effective for intercepting ballistic targets. PAC-2 missiles are also used, but they are more often employed as anti-aircraft weapons.

According to Ihnat, russian forces fired over 700 missiles this winter, a significant portion of which were ballistic missiles, including Kinzhal, Iskander, KN-23, and S-400 missiles.

Over the course of three months, approximately 15 massive attacks were recorded, not counting the daily strikes by Shahed drones.

This has led to the depletion of stockpiles not only for the Patriot but also for other air defense systems, including NASAMS and IRIS-T.

Ihnat added that Ukraine is currently using a wide range of air defense systems but needs additional missile supplies.

At the same time, he said, even small batches of interceptors could significantly strengthen protection against ballistic attacks.

As the Ukrainian News agency previously reported, in early April, the Ministry of Defense announced that in March, Ukraine’s air defense forces demonstrated their highest level of effectiveness in recent months, neutralizing 89.9% of enemy air targets.

In April, Defense Minister Advisor Serhii Beskrestnov (Flash) announced that an innovative private air defense system had become operational in Ukraine.