To withstand another winter of massive Russian strikes on energy, gas, and water infrastructure, Ukraine needs at least 300 PAC-3 Patriot missiles . A shortage of interceptor missiles risks nullifying Ukraine’s summer advantage over Russia.

This is reported by the Financial Times , Censor.NET reports with reference to Espresso.

The publication writes that during the latest massive strikes on Kyiv on August 5 and 8, Ukraine exhausted a small supply of interceptors provided by Washington and failed to shoot down any of the ballistic missiles fired at the capital. It notes that the shortage has become so acute that the Air Force has stopped regularly publishing the number of missiles launched by Russia, so as not to reveal how many of them were not intercepted.

At least 300 missiles are needed

In addition, according to the FT, Ukraine entered the summer with rare optimism: long-range strikes on Russian oil facilities caused the worst fuel crisis in Russia since the collapse of the USSR and seemed to give Kiev one of the strongest positions of all time after 2022. However, this momentum risks fading before winter – precisely when Russia is ramping up ballistics production.

According to the FT, it launched a record 198 ballistic and hypersonic missiles in July, while Kyiv estimates it needs at least 300 PAC-3 Patriot missiles to withstand another winter of massive strikes on energy, gas and water infrastructure.

Total Patriot Missile Shortage

The publication also reports that during Zelensky’s meeting with Trump at the White House in late July, the American president did not agree to provide additional Patriot missiles for the coming months, although he did not refuse outright. Frustrated by such uncertainty, Zelensky expressed suspicions about the reasons for the delay at a meeting with military and security leaders in early August.

“Perhaps these are also political steps to make Ukraine, let’s say, more accommodating,” the president said.

According to the FT, the decision to provide Ukraine with additional interceptors has not yet been made, and the negotiations themselves are ongoing against the backdrop of a general shortage of Patriot missiles in the US and its allies after the war between Israel and Iran, which depleted the world’s stockpiles of these weapons.

Author:  Natalia Dzhuma Джерело: https://censor.net/ua/n4018585

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