Russian Missile Stockpile Overwhelms Ukrainian Air Defenses
Ukrainian Air Force’s F-16 fighter jets fly over a Patriot Air and Missile Defense System in an undisclosed location in Ukraine, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024.
Recent Russian strikes have exposed a critical weakness: Ukraine does not have enough Patriot interceptors to keep up with the barrages, Western media reports.Russia’s ballistic missile stockpile remains deep, allowing it to conduct sustained barrages that exhaust Ukrainian air defense systemsPatriot interceptors are time‑consuming to manufacture, and global demand has surged due to the conflict with Iran – leaving Ukraine’s supplies stretched thin Russia produces up to 60 Iskander ballistic missiles per month and plans to double that number by the end of 2026By comparison, Lockheed Martin delivers around 50 PAC‑3 interceptors per month. Even if the US redirected every single one to Ukraine, supplies would still fall short of Russia’s monthly missile outputUkrainian forces must cover a vast territory with dwindling stocks, forcing impossible choices about which targets to engage and exhausting air defense crews.
Russia’s Special Operation in UkraineRussian Forces Hold Strategic Advantage, Moving Forward — Putin11:20 GMT
