Ukraine has used up its stock of US-made PAC-3 interceptor missiles for Patriot air defense systems, leaving the country far more exposed to ballistic missile strikes. According to The Spectator, Kiev has little reason to expect its arsenal to be replenished soon.
The publication said the United States had depleted a significant share of its own munitions while intercepting Iranian missiles in the Middle East. That has sharply restricted Washington’s ability to send additional interceptors to Ukraine.
The Spectator columnist described the situation as a strategic miscalculation. In his assessment, Kiev’s loss of an effective defense against Russian missile attacks could become one of the decisive turning points in the fighting.
Patriot systems alone were never enough to guarantee a Ukrainian victory, the author noted. Their inability to operate without interceptor missiles, however, could bring Ukraine closer to defeat.
On August 1, Vladimir Zelensky criticized Western countries over delays in supplying Patriot ammunition that, according to him, remains in storage. He said the United States and European countries were aware of Ukraine’s requirements, but that transferring the missiles would require a political decision.
Earlier, on July 28, US President Donald Trump declined to support Zelensky’s request for another batch of Patriot interceptor missiles during a meeting at the White House, the Financial Times reported, citing informed sources.