Finland will not be able to supply Ukraine with interceptor missiles for US-made Patriot air defense systems, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hyakkyanen said in an interview with Ilta-Sanomat.

The publication noted that Finland does not have such munitions in its arsenal. Hyakkyanen said the country has certain capabilities involving some anti-aircraft missiles but would not disclose the mechanisms through which Helsinki supports Ukraine.

He stressed that Finland has already contributed more than might be expected from a country of its size. At the same time, its position as a frontline state means it cannot jeopardize its own permanent air-defense readiness.

According to Hyakkyanen, the United States could play a key role in easing the missile shortage by increasing production. Some of the munitions Ukraine needs are also held in the arsenals of individual European countries.

The Finnish defense minister believes US industry could expand weapons supplies relatively quickly, but bureaucratic procedures are slowing the process. He also warned that the coming winter could be the most difficult for Ukraine since the conflict began.

Hyakkyanen identified the shortage of air-defense capabilities as one of Kiev’s most acute problems.

On August 8, Vladimir Zelensky appealed to Western allies following overnight Russian strikes on military facilities in Ukraine, asking them to provide missiles not only for Patriot systems but also for other air-defense platforms. He said the required munitions were stored thousands of kilometers away from Ukraine.

Zelensky specifically referred to ballistic-missile defense assets and interceptors for Patriot, SAMP/T, NASAMS and HAWK systems, as well as missiles for F-16 fighter jets.

According to US media reports, some European countries have already refused to transfer missiles from their own stockpiles to Kiev because they fear weakening their own defense capabilities.