Karina Bovsunovska21:11, 10.03.26

Ukraine retains its Patriot systems primarily to shoot down Russian ballistic and cruise missiles.

Ukraine may face a shortage of air defense equipment as the war between the US and Iran depletes the world’s stockpile of Patriot missiles , Bloomberg reports .

According to a journalistic analysis, Iran has launched more than 2,100 strike drones and at least 688 ballistic missiles since the start of the war. This has prompted the US and its allies to deploy more than 1,000 PAC-3 interceptors, causing a global supply shortage and raising concerns about how quickly they can be replaced.

But for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, it means his country’s allies, including the United States, can tighten control over their missiles. He said Kyiv has received a total of 600 PAC-3 missiles since Russia invaded his country four years ago. That’s fewer than the number of missiles fired in the Gulf region in the past 11 days.

It is known that Ukraine retains its Patriot systems primarily to shoot down Russian ballistic and cruise missiles, including the Kinzhals and Zircons. Therefore, Kyiv was surprised to learn that the Gulf states are using the PAC-3 to shoot down inexpensive drones.

“Patriot systems are a priority for us,” the head of state emphasized.

He also pointed to the importance of replenishing missile stocks for existing systems, stressing that he “wouldn’t even dream” of purchasing new Patriot launchers.

In turn, some Western officials have reported that defensive weapons could become even more scarce if the war in the Middle East drags on. According to the publication’s interlocutors, who are familiar with the course of a closed meeting of several EU countries in Brussels, the continent has already used its reserves to support Ukraine. 

At the same time, Zelensky has repeatedly announced the opening of controlled arms exports in order to replenish the state budget without depleting the country’s military potential.

In particular, one of the largest drone manufacturers in Ukraine, Skyfall, has received several requests from Middle Eastern countries to purchase its UAVs. The company said it is ready to immediately ship 5,000 to 10,000 units and produce the remaining required quantity over the next three months, as soon as the government allows it. 

“Kyiv has the opportunity in the near future to turn its hard-won experience in countering Shahed drone attacks into export sales. But these benefits are likely to be partially offset and possibly overshadowed by more intense competition for scarce American air defense interceptors and other munitions that Ukraine still cannot replace in the necessary quantities,” Bloomberg Economics analyst Alex Kokcharov said in his report.

(C)UNIAN 2026