Ukraine warns Patriot and NASAMS launchers are running low on missiles
Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat (Photo: mil.in.ua)
Ukraine is facing an acute shortage of missiles for Patriot, NASAMS, and IRIS-T air defense systems. Launch systems in the units are half-empty, and Air Force representatives are forced to beg for 5-10 missiles at international negotiations, states Colonel Yurii Ihnat.
On starvation rations
According to Ihnat, supply problems have led to Ukraine being on starvation rations when it comes to missiles. Air Force representatives work at Ramstein and other negotiating groups, where they have to ask for literally just a few units of ammunition for each system.
"The launch systems that are part of certain units and batteries are half-empty — and that's putting it mildly," the colonel emphasized.
Why stocks are depleted
The main reason is 15 large strikes on energy infrastructure during the winter period. Ammunition expenditure proved extremely high. The situation is worsened by the growing global demand for air defense systems due to the conflict in the Middle East — competition for ammunition has increased.
How they are handling the situation
The command is forced to disperse available forces and missiles across regions to ensure a minimum level of protection across the entire country. Ihnat emphasized that Ukrainian military personnel have unique experience operating modern air defense systems, interceptor drones, and F-16 fighter jets in the context of a full-scale war.
On May 6, Russian troops launched a drone strike on the center of Sumy, hitting a kindergarten building. Two women were killed, and there were wounded. On the same day, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih, and the Sumy region came under fire.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the introduction of a ceasefire regime starting May 6, emphasizing that no official truce proposals had been received from Russia.
On the night of May 7, Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 102 strike drones of various types from seven directions. Air defense shot down 92 drones. Impacts and debris falls were recorded in several regions.
In particular, in the Poltava region, as a result of a combined attack (drones and missiles), four people were killed (two rescuers and two enterprise employees), and 37 people were wounded (including 23 employees of the State Emergency Service). Some subscribers were left without gas, and railway infrastructure and an industrial facility were damaged.
