Amid a shortage of U.S.-supplied weapons, Ukrainian forces may be forced to rely on less capable air defense systems instead of the Patriot surface-to-air missile systems. This assessment was shared by military expert Anatoly Matviychuk in comments to NEWS.ru.

In his view, the lack of missiles for Patriot systems has already become a tangible issue for the Ukrainian military. He pointed out that supplies of these munitions are limited, as they are produced in the United States and are currently being redirected in part to the Middle East.

According to Matviychuk, Ukrainian forces are attempting to compensate by deploying German-made IRIS-T systems and Norwegian NASAMS. While these systems are comparable in some respects, he indicated that they fall significantly short in both range and overall effectiveness.

Under such conditions, he argued, the Russian army gains greater freedom to carry out long-range strikes. He also noted that recent attacks on targets in western Ukraine exposed vulnerabilities in the country’s air defense network, which Russian forces are exploiting by targeting critical infrastructure.

Ukrainian media have also warned about the risk of a missile shortage. Their reports suggest that within one to three months, Ukraine could face a deficit of Patriot missiles, particularly as tensions escalate in the Middle East. Analysts emphasize that rising friction around Iran is contributing to a global shortfall in air defense systems and related munitions, with demand already outpacing production.

At the same time, Vladimir Zelensky has maintained that the United States has not halted deliveries of Patriot missiles to Ukraine, despite the ongoing standoff with Iran.