International

Ukraine Runs Out of Patriot Interceptor Missiles Amid Rising Tensions With US

16 October 2026 13:10 PM

NEWS DESK

Ukraine is facing a growing military challenge amid political tensions with the United States, as its stockpile of US-made Patriot air defence interceptor missiles has reportedly been exhausted, raising concerns over its ability to counter Russian ballistic missile attacks.

A source familiar with the situation disclosed the development on Thursday, saying Ukraine’s air defence systems had failed to intercept most of the ballistic missiles fired in recent Russian attacks because of the shortage of interceptors.

The crisis comes as tensions between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continue to escalate. Washington has been pressuring Kyiv to halt its long-range strikes on Russian energy facilities, while Moscow continues attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

The Patriot system is one of Ukraine’s most important air defence assets and among the few systems capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles. However, the high cost of Patriot interceptors and limited global supplies have made it difficult for Kyiv to maintain adequate stocks.

The ongoing war involving Iran has added to the pressure, as several countries seek to strengthen their air defences, further increasing demand for the missiles.

According to a source cited by CNN, Russian attacks from Tuesday night through Wednesday morning damaged three power plants in Kyiv and struck energy infrastructure in Kharkiv. The attacks killed four people and injured 25 others in Kyiv.

Ukraine’s air force had earlier said it intercepted four Russian ballistic missiles during the attacks. The latest strikes are believed to have depleted the country’s remaining stock of Patriot interceptors.

Zelenskyy has been raising concerns about the shortage for months. In an interview with CNN in August, he said Ukraine had only around 10 per cent of the missiles it needed at the time. He also said Kyiv had to maintain regular contact with its allies to address the shortfall.

The Ukrainian president later expressed hope that the United States would grant Ukraine a licence to manufacture Patriot missiles. However, the initiative did not progress after Trump declined to approve it.

In a statement on Wednesday, Zelenskyy renewed his appeal to Washington for more missiles. He said the US president could play an important role in achieving peace through strength, establishing justice and putting pressure on the aggressor.

The dispute between Kyiv and Washington has intensified over the Trump administration’s pressure on Ukraine to stop attacking Russian energy facilities. Zelenskyy has argued that Ukraine cannot reasonably be expected to halt its retaliatory strikes while Russia continues targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

In an interview with the British newspaper Financial Times, Zelenskyy said Ukraine would need additional Patriot missiles if it were to stop attacking Russian energy facilities.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has reportedly raised the possibility of suspending arrangements that allow European countries to purchase weapons for Ukraine, as well as halting intelligence sharing with Kyiv. Two European officials told CNN about the potential measures.

Trump, however, said intelligence sharing with Ukraine had not been halted.

Alongside the shortage of Patriot missiles, Ukraine is also facing difficulties with Starshield, a US military communications system operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

Restrictions on the speed and use of the system, a military version of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network, have disrupted Ukrainian military operations, logistics and drone interception efforts, according to Ukrainian officials.

Ukrainian officials said on Thursday that Starshield operations had partially returned to normal, although problems remained.

SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk said the US military and the president have the authority to decide whether to restrict the use or speed of Starshield, which is owned and controlled by the US government.

A Ukrainian military official told CNN that restrictions on Starlink operations had prevented some of the unit’s attack drones from reaching their intended targets on Wednesday.

Separately, Zelenskyy said Russia had launched more than 850 attack drones towards Ukraine since midnight on Thursday. He accused Russia’s adversaries of artificially limiting the effectiveness of Ukraine’s defence capabilities.

The depletion of interceptor missiles, growing political friction with Washington and restrictions affecting military communications have combined to complicate Ukraine’s defence efforts as Russian attacks on its infrastructure continue.

Ukraine US missiles exhausted