Ukraine warns Patriot missile stocks nearly depleted ahead of winter

Ukraine has alerted Western partners that its Patriot air defense missile stocks are nearly depleted, urgently requesting more interceptors and funding ahead of winter, but recent EU and NATO meetings yielded no new concrete commitments. Kyiv faces a critical shortage of PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles for US-made Patriot systems, with countries like Greece, Spain, Japan, and South Korea reluctant to transfer their reserves. A global interceptor deficit and US efforts to rebuild its own stockpiles compound the problem, with Ukraine receiving only 10-20 Patriot missiles monthly via NATO's PURL program. President Zelensky stated Ukraine needs about 300 Patriot interceptors for winter, alongside AMRAAM, IRIS-T, and Aster 30 missiles. Kyiv also faces a €23 billion defense budget shortfall this year, while Russia has intensified attacks using modernized jet-powered drones that are harder to intercept.