Short on US Patriot missiles, Ukraine looks for alternatives
Russia is putting pressure on Ukraine with ballistic missiles, but Kyiv is short of Patriot interceptors. Domestic production and European alternatives take time. Can Kyiv realistically reduce its dependence on the US?
Ukraine is facing a shortage of US Patriot interceptor missiles to defend against Russian ballistic missiles. Despite having a well-functioning defense network against drones, the country's armed forces are struggling to counter Iskander-M missiles. The French/Italian SAMP/T system is considered an alternative, but Ukraine only owns a few units and the required Aster-30 interceptor missiles are in short supply.
Patriot deliveries to Ukraine are declining, with the country receiving only about one-third of the missiles it received in 2025. Russia is ramping up production of Iskander-M and Kinzhal ballistic missiles, with estimates suggesting they produce around 700 per year. North Korea may also be supplying Russia with ballistic missiles.
Ukraine is exploring domestic production and a European-Ukrainian missile defense project called Freya, which involves Ukrainian manufacturer Fire Point and over a dozen European arms manufacturers. However, setting up domestic production could take 12-5 years due to the complexity of the missile components.
Written by urgent.news from DW News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
