Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense issued an urgent statement after one of the largest overnight attacks on Kyiv in recent times.
The ministry said the country critically needs additional missiles for Patriot systems following one of Russia’s largest attacks.
According to the Defense Ministry, Russia launched nearly 500 attack drones and 77 missiles at Ukraine overnight. Of those, 25 were ballistic or hypersonic missiles.
The ministry noted that thanks to the professionalism of Ukrainian troops and support from partners, more than 90% of cruise missiles and 90% of Shahed-type attack drones were intercepted.
At the same time, the Defense Ministry stressed that intercepting ballistic missiles remains a key challenge due to a shortage of missiles for Patriot systems.
In April, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense for the first time signed a record contract for hundreds of PAC-2 missiles for Patriot systems with Germany’s support. Deliveries are expected to begin over the coming years.
A first step has also been taken toward purchasing around 100 Patriot missiles worth $1 billion using an EU loan. This year, Ukraine also began receiving missiles from the stockpiles of European partners for the first time.
The Defense Ministry said that thanks to the implementation of NATO’s After Action Review standard, Patriot’s effectiveness against maneuvering Iskander missiles has already more than doubled.
At the same time, the ministry emphasized that this is not enough. Ukraine critically needs additional missiles for Patriot systems, which are available in partners’ stockpiles.
Ukraine’s defense minister has already sent letters to nearly 40 partner countries asking them to urgently transfer Patriot missiles from existing stocks this month in exchange for future deliveries contracted for Ukraine.
Ukraine also called on partners to contribute to the PURL and JUMPSTART mechanisms. The Defense Ministry described them as the fastest and most reliable ways to supply the Patriot missiles Ukraine needs.
The ministry stressed that it is critically important to make decisions ahead of the NATO summit, as the protection of Ukraine’s skies, critical infrastructure and people’s lives now directly depends on the speed of partners.
