拦截弹告急 美媒称乌军“爱国者”系统已哑火数周

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 United States 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 United States 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 the amount during the same period in 2025.

According to a report by The New York Times, the United States has consumed more than 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" in the Middle East conflict, but did not expect the consumption rate by U.S. forces 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 establish factories within Ukraine, the ownership and operational control of the factories can be held by U.S. companies.

Zelensky said he is more focused on the production scale of interceptors, 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 granted authorization, it may produce "Patriot" interceptors in large quantities at a lower cost, competing with U.S. businesses.

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 still hopes that Ukraine will receive authorization.

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

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