Markus Gotthard (eMarkus) Dold
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Strategic Infrastructure Architect | Grid Scale Battery Storage Europe | Autonomous Drone Systems | Defense & Energy Security Infrastructure
University of Mannheim
Ultimate Partners (Strategic Infrastructure & Energy)
Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain
July 2, 2026
Tonight, my wife is in a bomb shelter in Kyiv while Patriot batteries try to stop another wave of Russian ballistic and cruise missiles.
One question keeps coming back to me:
If Ukraine is already trusted to operate Patriot systems in combat, why isn’t it trusted to build Patriot interceptors under license?
The real bottleneck isn’t just money. It is industrial capacity.
The U.S. currently produces only a limited number of PAC-3 interceptors each year, while demand has surged because of conflicts in both Europe and the Middle East. Critical components, such as advanced radar seekers, remain highly specialized and are produced by only a handful of suppliers. (TheDefenseWatch.com)
The encouraging news is that this debate is finally changing.
President Zelenskyy says President Trump responded positively to discussing licensed production of Patriot interceptors in Ukraine and Europe, and European leaders have publicly supported expanding licensed manufacturing. (euronews)
As someone working in the defense technology sector, I believe this is the wrong question:
Not “Who owns the factory?”
The right question is:
How many lives can another factory save?
Whether those interceptors are built in Alabama, Bavaria, or Kyiv should matter less than ensuring enough are available before the next missile attack begins.
People continue to debate who bears responsibility for how this war began. I have my own views on the geopolitical decisions and provocations that preceded Russia’s full-scale invasion. But regardless of where one stands on those debates, one fact is beyond dispute:
When ballistic missiles are flying toward apartment buildings, civilians need air defense—not another argument.
Tonight, I cannot stop thinking about Kyiv.
Not because of politics.
Because of one simple WhatsApp message.
Someone I love is sitting in a bomb shelter tonight.
While the world is scrolling through social media, thousands of Ukrainians are preparing to spend another night underground. Parents holding their children. Families bringing blankets, pets and whatever hope they still have.
President Zelensky warned today that Russia is preparing another large-scale strike. Explosions have already been reported across Kyiv, while residents crowded into metro stations waiting for drones and possible missile attacks.
The message I received from the shelter broke my heart.
“People here are talking about everything… geopolitics, how to survive another night, and even how to keep bread from getting moldy.”
Think about that for a second.
Not restaurants.
Not holidays.
Not weekend plans.
How to keep bread alive. While trying to stay alive.
War changes everything.
It turns children into experts on air raid sirens.
It turns metro stations into bedrooms.
It turns “Good night” into “I hope you wake up tomorrow.”
Whatever your political opinion may be, I hope we can all agree on one thing:
No child should have to sleep in a bomb shelter.
Tonight I am praying for every family in Kyiv.
For every mother protecting her children.
For every father trying to stay strong.
For every elderly person who has already survived one war and now faces another.
And to everyone in Ukraine:
You are not forgotten.
The world may be busy.
But many of us are thinking about you tonight.
🇺🇦❤️
Comment from :
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………………….
As someone working in the defense industry, I believe we are asking the wrong question.
The question is not whether Ukraine should receive more Patriot interceptors.
The question is why Ukraine is still not producing them under license.
In 1994, Ukraine gave up the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal under the Budapest Memorandum in exchange for security assurances from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia.
Russia violated those assurances.
The West has provided unprecedented military support since 2022. But three years into a full-scale war, one uncomfortable reality remains:
Ukraine is still largely dependent on foreign production for some of the most critical systems needed to defend its cities.
Every missile intercepted saves lives.
Every interceptor not produced because of industrial bottlenecks or political hesitation costs time that Ukraine simply does not have.
Yes, Patriot technology is sensitive.
Yes, export controls matter.
But history has shown that democracies can safely license production of highly sophisticated defense systems among trusted partners when the strategic need exists.
Ukraine has become one of the most experienced operators of Western air defense systems anywhere in the world. It has demonstrated extraordinary technical competence under combat conditions.
The real strategic question is no longer whether Ukraine can be trusted.
It is whether the democratic world is willing to build enough industrial capacity to match its political commitments.
Wars are not won by speeches.
They are won by production.
………………..
Roman Sheremeta:
Trump reported more than $1.4 billion in income from crypto, digital tokens, stock trading, and partnerships in 2025, according to newly released White House financial disclosures.
This was the single most profitable year of Trump’s entire life.
………………
“Now our administration is made up of monsters.”
Recently, I posted a video showing the Japanese delegation wearing traditional Ukrainian vyshyvankas while meeting with the Ukrainian delegation in Tokyo.
The video was very well received. But one comment hit me hard. A U.S. citizen wrote: “I remember when the U.S. used to do this kind of thing. Now our administration are monsters.”
Unfortunately, I have to agree with the sentiment. Sometimes, when I look at the current U.S. administration, its hypocrisy, corruption, and sheer lack of basic human decency, I wonder: How did we get here? And all of it is wrapped in the language of “Christian faith,” “family values,” and the “pro-life” movement.
How did we reach this level of hypocrisy? How did so many Christians buy into these lies? When did decency disappear? How did we become monsters?
Garry Kasparov:
Mafia land must burn, and Taco must go to prison.