Gambiaj.com – (KYIV, UKRAINE) – Ukraine has run out of missiles for its US-made Patriot air defence systems, leaving the country increasingly exposed to Russian ballistic missile attacks, according to a source familiar with the situation cited by CNN.
The development comes as tensions between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump have intensified over Washington’s pressure on Kyiv to halt attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.
The shortage became particularly acute during a Russian overnight attack into Wednesday, when ballistic missiles struck three power plants in Kyiv and targeted energy infrastructure in Kharkiv. Four people were killed and 25 injured in Kyiv.
The source told CNN that “almost all the ballistic missiles from the last strike were not intercepted due to lack of the (interceptor) missiles.”
Ukraine’s Air Force said it intercepted four Russian ballistic missiles during the attack, suggesting that only a small number of Patriot interceptors remained available for use.
Ukraine Has Repeatedly Warned Of Patriot Shortage
Patriot systems are among the few air defence weapons capable of reliably intercepting Russian ballistic missiles, but their interceptor missiles are expensive and increasingly scarce.
Zelensky has repeatedly warned that Ukraine is running dangerously low on the weapons. In August, when CNN was given access to a Patriot system in Ukraine, Ukrainian officials said the country had almost exhausted its supply.
Zelensky told CNN at the time that he was spending much of his time making “millions” of phone calls to allies in an effort to secure additional systems and missiles. He said Ukraine had only around one-tenth of the interceptors it urgently needed.
A month later, Zelensky said Ukraine would receive a US licence to manufacture Patriot missiles. However, Trump declined to confirm the arrangement, and no licence ultimately materialised.
In a statement on Wednesday, Zelensky again appealed to Washington for additional supplies, saying the US president had “all the effective and necessary tools to bring peace closer through strength, justice, and pressure on the aggressor.”
He added: “We ask for additional packages of Patriot missile interceptors for Ukraine.”
Patriot Supply Caught In US-Ukraine Dispute
The shortage comes as Washington has increased pressure on Kyiv to stop deep strikes against Russian fuel and energy facilities.
The Trump administration has linked the Ukraine conflict to rising global diesel prices ahead of the US midterm elections and has pushed Kyiv to halt attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.
Zelensky has rejected the pressure, arguing that Russia continues to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
In an interview with the Financial Times, he said Ukraine could consider stopping its attacks on Russian energy facilities only if it received more Patriot interceptors “at a minimum.”
Earlier this week, US officials also warned Ukraine and European allies that Washington could suspend European purchases of US weapons and intelligence sharing for Ukraine if Kyiv did not halt its strikes on Russian energy facilities, according to two European officials cited by CNN.
Such a move could jeopardise future deliveries of Patriot interceptors through the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List, or PURL, a mechanism used by European countries to purchase US weapons for Ukraine.
Trump has denied that the US has stopped sharing intelligence with Kyiv.
Starshield Restrictions Add To Ukraine’s Problems
Ukraine is also dealing with disruptions to Starshield, the military-grade satellite communications service operated by SpaceX.
Ukrainian officials said restrictions on the system caught them off guard this week, affecting military operations, logistics and efforts to intercept Russian jet-powered drones.
A Ukrainian Defense Ministry source said Thursday that Starshield operations had resumed, but officials were still investigating the circumstances surrounding the restrictions.
Zelensky, however, said some limitations remained. He claimed Russia had launched more than 850 attack drones since midnight “at a time when the speed of our defensive capabilities is being artificially restricted.”
Ukraine’s top diplomat in Washington, Denys Sienik, said Starshield speeds had improved but had not returned fully to their previous level.
A Ukrainian drone commander also told CNN that restrictions had affected his unit’s operations on Wednesday, preventing some strike drones from reaching their targets.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on X that Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government and that decisions over their speed or use rest with the US military and the president.
The combination of dwindling Patriot interceptors, uncertainty over future US military support and continuing restrictions affecting Starshield has left Ukraine facing growing pressure as Russia intensifies attacks on its energy infrastructure.
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