Ukraine has run out of interceptor missiles for its U.S.-supplied Patriot air defense system, leaving the country more vulnerable to Russian ballistic missile attacks, a source familiar with the situation told CNN on Thursday. The depletion occurred as Russia continued ballistic missile strikes on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure, according to the report.
The source stated that "almost all the ballistic missiles from the last strike were not intercepted due to lack of the (interceptor) missiles," according to CNN. During that strike, Russia hit a Ukrainian power plant and killed four people in Kyiv, despite an energy cease-fire announced by President Donald Trump, the report said.
The shortage of Patriot interceptors, which are among the few weapons capable of shooting down incoming ballistic missiles, has been a growing concern for months as multiple conflicts strain Western stockpiles. The report stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly requested licenses to manufacture Patriot interceptors domestically, but no agreement has materialized. In July, Trump declared that Washington would give Ukraine "the right to make Patriots" [1].
Patriot Interceptors and Supply Constraints
Patriot interceptors are Ukraine's primary means of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles, which are approximately the size of a large truck. The West has faced a shortage of Patriot interceptors for months amid wars involving Ukraine, Israel and the Persian Gulf. Production of Patriot missiles takes about two years, though the Trump administration is seeking to accelerate output, the report stated.
This is likely not the first time Ukraine has run out of Patriot interceptors during the war, according to the report. Several U.S. allies, including South Korea, possess stockpiles of other missile defense systems, but relations between Seoul and Kyiv have recently soured, the report said.
Russian Strikes Continue Despite Ceasefire Announcement
Ukraine has been able to match or surpass Russia in drone warfare but has struggled to defend against ballistic missile attacks, according to assessments cited in the report.
On August 5, Russia launched 115 drones and 24 ballistic missiles at Ukraine. Most of the drones were shot down, but Kyiv's depleted air defenses did not intercept any of the missiles, according to a BBC report [2]. Twenty-one people were killed, and dozens more were wounded, the report said. Yehor Cherniev, deputy chair of the Ukrainian parliament's national security, defense and intelligence committee, told The New York Times that "the situation today is more critical than at any point since the start of the war" [3].
Allied Aid and Production Efforts
The United Kingdom is providing Ukraine with additional long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles after Zelensky met with the UK prime minister, Bloomberg reported. Following Zelensky's recent trip to Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced plans to send more aid to Ukraine. The United States has provided about $130 billion worth of assistance to Ukraine, while European nations have sent just under $270 billion, according to data from the Kiel Institute. European countries typically purchase weapons from the U.S. through the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List initiative.
Other European countries and NATO allies have recently taken steps to help Ukraine, according to the report. Poland plans to transfer several missiles to Ukraine for the Patriot air-defense system, according to information obtained by Remix News [4]. However, a new survey conducted by the IBRiS research center found that nearly two-thirds of Polish citizens oppose transferring Patriot interceptor missiles from their country's stockpile to Ukraine, with a combined 64.4% opposed [5].
Ukraine has claimed its access to Starshield, a military offshoot of Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet system, was throttled for drones traveling at high speeds, thwarting planned attacks against Russian forces; access was later restored, Ukraine said. The U.S. military has moved Patriot missiles to the Middle East to counter Iranian attacks, depleting European inventories, according to officials cited in a Middle East Eye report [6]. Two officials – a U.S. defense official in Europe and a NATO official – said on condition of anonymity that U.S. Patriot interceptor stocks in Europe are "beyond critical" due to the Iran war [6].
Diplomatic Tensions and Outlook
Tensions between Zelensky and Trump have increased following Trump's call with Putin last week, according to the report. Trump announced a diesel deal with Russia, which Zelensky criticized as a "betrayal," according to the report. Trump called for Ukraine to replace Zelensky as its leader, the report also stated.
Ukraine claimed the U.S. did not give it advance notice of Russian ballistic missile attacks, despite having done so repeatedly in the past. Zelensky told "Piers Morgan Uncensored" that Trump's advisers are "wrong" and that "if you're in the middle, you have to stay in the middle, not on the wrong side."
On Thursday, Zelensky said Ukraine would resume strikes on Russian oil refineries, ending a pause that had been implemented at Washington's behest. "The block [on attacking refineries] is out. We're done," Zelensky told the Financial Times [7]. He accused the U.S. of withdrawing crucial support [8]. No official resolution to the Patriot interceptor shortage was announced.
References
- Zelensky Claims 'Final Decision' Made To Let Ukraine Build Patriots, After Trump Reversed Pledge. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/zelensky-claims-final-decision-made-let-ukraine-build-patriots-after-trump-reversed
- After deadly Kyiv strike, Ukraine warns interceptor shortage is costing lives. https://bbc.com/news/articles/cyvlgq2gp2eo
- Ukraine Cannot Intercept Russian Ballistic Missiles, Official Says - NaturalNews.com, August 09, 2026.
- Amid global shortage of interceptor missiles, Poland plans to transfer an undisclosed number of Patriot missiles to Ukraine. https://rmx.news/article/amid-global-shortage-of-interceptor-missiles-poland-plans-to-transfer-an-undisclosed-number-of-patriot-missiles-to-ukraine/
- Majority of Poles reject sending Patriot missiles to Ukraine, new poll shows. https://www.naturalnews.com/2026-09-03-poles-reject-sending-patriot-missiles-ukraine-poll.html
- Officials: U.S. Patriot Missile Stocks in Europe "Beyond Critical" Due to Iran War - NaturalNews.com, August 30, 2026.
- Zelensky defies Trump, says Ukraine will resume strikes on Russian oil refineries. https://rmx.news/article/zelensky-defies-trump-says-ukraine-will-resume-strikes-on-russian-oil-refineries/
- Ukraine to restart strikes on Russian oil refineries, Zelensky says. https://bbc.com/news/articles/cqwyrnwd9dw1o
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