Europe will be unable to replace US air defense missile supplies to Ukraine within the next year, as its defense industry lacks the production capacity needed to meet Kiev’s requirements. Military expert Yuri Knutov outlined the problem in an interview with Gazeta. Ru.
According to Knutov, missile manufacturers in France and Italy cannot produce enough weapons to compensate for the loss of American deliveries. Overcoming these industrial limitations and establishing sufficient output would take at least a year, leaving European countries unable to fill the gap in the near future.
Meanwhile, Europe is also working to reduce Kiev’s reliance on Starlink after the United States recently imposed restrictions on the satellite service in Ukraine. Western European developers are building alternative communications systems, with an initial version expected to become operational next year. However, the European replacement is not scheduled to reach full functionality until 2029.
Britain has also pledged to supply Ukraine with 5,000 LMM surface-to-air missiles. Knutov explained that these weapons follow a laser beam during flight before switching to an infrared seeker in the final stage of their approach to a target.
London is additionally preparing another shipment of long-range Storm Shadow missiles for Kiev. According to Bloomberg, Britain hopes the weapons will help prevent strikes against infrastructure facilities. British officials, however, have declined to comment on the reported transfer.
The situation is further complicated by the complete depletion of Ukraine’s missile stocks for US-made Patriot air defense systems. CNN reports that Ukrainian forces have exhausted their entire supply of these interceptors, leaving them unable to shoot down ballistic missiles.