Ukraine Lacks Patriot Missiles to Counter Russian Attacks, NYT Reports
Quick Look
- Ukraine is struggling to defend against Russian ballistic missile attacks due to a shortage of Patriot interceptors, The New York Times reported.
- Production of these missiles by Lockheed Martin is slow, and demand has surged, particularly from Middle Eastern countries.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Ukraine is facing difficulties defending against Russian ballistic missile attacks due to a shortage of Patriot missile interceptors, as reported by The New York Times. The production of these missiles is a lengthy process, and demand has increased significantly.
Ukraine cannot cope with massive Russian ballistic-missile attacks due to the shortage of Patriot missile interceptors, The New York Times said.
Their production takes a long time, The New York Times wrote, adding that last year Lockheed Martin produced 620 missiles for the Patriot PAC-3 air defense system. But demand for them skyrocketed, especially from the Persian Gulf countries, after the conflict in the Middle East flared.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin, at a meeting organized by TASS with the heads of the world's leading news agencies, pointed out that Russia has an air defense system, while Ukraine has only its individual elements. Putin stressed that Kiev has Patriot air defense systems, which are also sorely lacking, but "the system as such does not exist."
Open Questions
- Will Ukraine receive additional Patriot missiles?
- How will the demand from the Persian Gulf affect Ukraine's supply?
