Intercepting missiles in urgent need: US media reports that Ukraine's "Patriot" system has been silent for weeks.

According to a report by CNN on the 17th, Dmitro, the chief engineer responsible for the operation of the "Patriot" missile system in Ukraine, revealed that he has not seen the "Patriot" system in operation for several weeks.

Since the large-scale military operation launched by the U.S. and Israel against Iran at the end of February this year, a significant number of "Patriot" interceptors have been consumed, leading to a substantial reduction in the supply of similar missiles sent to Ukraine by the U.S. and its allies. Ukrainian President Zelensky recently claimed that the number of air defense missiles provided to Ukraine by Western allies this year is only one-third of what it was in the same period in 2025.

According to a report by The New York Times, the U.S. has consumed over 1,500 "Patriot" interceptors in the conflict with Iran, and currently, the U.S. stockpile of this type of missile is less than 1,700. Although U.S. defense contractors are accelerating and expanding production, it will still take more than two years to replenish the stock.

Dmitro stated that he "anticipated trouble" regarding the conflict in the Middle East, but did not expect the consumption rate by the U.S. military to be so high.

In an interview with CNN, Zelensky mentioned that Ukraine has agreed with two U.S. defense contractors that as long as they build factories within Ukraine, the ownership and operation of the factories can be controlled by the U.S. companies.

Zelensky said he is more focused on the scale of interceptor production, and the pricing of the products can be determined by the manufacturers themselves; the ammunition produced by the factories will be for Ukraine's use only. According to U.S. media reports, U.S. defense contractors are concerned that if Ukraine is authorized, it may produce "Patriot" interceptors in large quantities at a lower cost, competing with the U.S. for business.

In early July, during a NATO summit, U.S. President Trump stated that he would authorize Ukraine to produce the "Patriot" system, but later retracted that statement. Zelensky has not forgotten Trump's earlier "commitment" and expressed hope that Ukraine would still receive authorization.

However, some analysts believe that even if Ukraine receives authorization, it will not solve the immediate problem. National Public Radio reported, citing U.S. officials and analysts, that even if Ukraine is authorized, the production of interceptors may take several years due to supply issues with components.

Russia launched a special military operation against Ukraine in February 2022, and the West imposed unprecedented sanctions on Russia while providing substantial military aid to Ukraine. The Russian side has stated that any supplies, including weapons, provided to Ukraine will become legitimate targets for Russian strikes, and that NATO countries supplying weapons to Ukraine are "playing with fire." (End)