Ukraine is out of Patriot missiles

CNN was the first station to gain access to Patriot launchers on Ukrainian territory. According to representatives of the Ukrainian side, the country has „practically completely exhausted its existing stockpiles of interceptor missiles.” Authorities in Kyiv did not provide the exact number of remaining missiles; however, soldiers operating the systems admit that some launchers have not carried out interceptions of Russian missiles for six weeks precisely due to a lack of ammunition.

„It truly breaks your heart when you have the equipment but are unable to intercept any missiles. Ballistic missiles are flying over your head and there is nothing you can do, while civilians are behind you,” a Ukrainian engineer said in the CNN report.

President Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine needs 5 per cent of American stockpiles to survive the winter, while currently possessing a mere 1 per cent. „If the USA were to sell Ukraine 10 per cent of its interceptor missile stockpiles, we could shoot down all the ballistic missiles with which Russia is attacking us,” Zelenskyy said in an interview with CNN last Wednesday. He added that this year Ukraine has 2.5 times fewer interceptor missiles than in 2025, while Russia is launching twice as many ballistic missiles per month. July was the most tragic month for Ukrainian civilians since April 2022, according to UN data.

Issues with missile availability had appeared earlier – for the first time in December 2025. The current crisis is global in scale. Western stockpiles were heavily depleted during the US war with Iran. In 2025, approximately 620 PAC-3 missiles were produced, while in the early days of the conflict with Iran, daily consumption reached an average of 225 units. Lockheed Martin declares that production is set to increase to approximately 2,000 units per year by 2030.

During the NATO summit in Ankara, President Trump announced the granting of a production licence for Patriot missiles to Ukraine. „We will give you a licence to produce Patriots. It’s pretty cool. That way, you won’t be able to complain that we aren’t giving you enough of them,” Trump said. At the end of July, however, Trump stated that he had not agreed to the production of Patriots by Ukraine. „We are talking about it, but it’s a difficult matter – giving away such technology. You have to be careful who you share it with,” he declared.