Ukraine's Patriot shortage grows as Russian attacks intensify
Yurii Ihnat (photo: Suspilne Media)
Due to the intensity of Russian attacks, the military is forced to conserve ammunition for Patriot air defense systems, said Yurii Ihnat, head of communications of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
According to Ihnat, a week ago, the Air Force published a video where military personnel working with Patriot systems showed the state of the ammunition.
"Our fighters who serve on Patriot say there are empty containers there, and in this particular unit shown, only two out of eight missiles remain," said the head of communications.
He added that this system could have been used during the latest attacks, as the video was filmed the day before.
"In fact, this shows that more missiles for Patriot systems are indeed needed," Ihnat emphasized.
He stressed that Ukrainian military personnel have significant experience operating these systems and are ready to share it with partners.
"They perfectly understand that today they have mastered this system better than anyone in the world and have the greatest experience, which they are ready to share with our Western partners," said Yurii Ihnat.
At the same time, according to him, due to the intensity of Russian attacks, the military is forced to conserve ammunition.
"Our people are trained 24/7 and not only know how to successfully intercept ballistic threats, using missiles rationally, not several at once, but trying to save them for later," Ihnat explained.
He added that the systems operate even in difficult conditions, including severe frost, but the key problem remains the supply of missiles.
"The issue now really lies in missiles and is very serious," he concluded.
Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine currently has a critical shortage of Patriot air defense systems. If the war drags on, Kyiv will have even fewer weapons.
