Patriot missile shortages reshape Ukraine's defenses and allied supply lines

Ukraine has run out of Patriot interceptor missiles, leaving it unable to defend against Russian ballistic missile strikes as winter approaches, according to CNN and The Washington Post reports on Thursday. The shortage stems from US and Israeli operations against Iran since February, which diverted interceptors earmarked for Ukraine to American forces and Gulf allies. Poland and Switzerland face delivery delays on the same production line, and experts say no viable alternatives exist for ballistic missile defense. Russia's Iskander missiles reach targets in minutes, and Ukraine shot down only one of 27 ballistic missiles on August 1. President Zelenskyy has requested 5% of US Patriot stock to survive winter, while a promised US license for Ukraine to manufacture PAC-3 interceptors has not materialized.