Television became the first media outlet given the opportunity to inspect the “Patriot” systems on Ukrainian territory. And Ukrainian officials who spoke with journalists emphasized only one thing: the country has almost exhausted its stock of missile interceptors.
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“We have the equipment, but we don’t have anything to shoot down missiles with,” said Ukrainian military engineer Dmytro, who did not disclose his full name for security reasons.
Journalists saw 16 “Patriot” launchers, which bore signs of intensive use. Ukrainian soldiers last used these systems about 10 weeks ago.
Ukraine reluctantly indicated how many anti-missile weapons, if any remain at all, it has – President Volodymyr Zelensky said last week that the country needs 5% of the US’s “Patriot” missile interceptor stock to survive the winter, but according to him, Ukraine currently has only 1%.
“It really hurts the heart. To see that you have the equipment but cannot intercept a single missile. Ballistic missiles fly overhead, and you can do nothing. Moreover, civilians are behind you,” Dmytro said.
The engineer noted that the Ukrainian armed forces first found themselves in a similar situation in December 2025.
“It’s hard to describe – these are strong and unpleasant feelings. It’s like learning to walk but not being able to do it. You know how to breathe but can’t,” he said.
A member of the “Patriot” control center crew, Heorhijus, explained that the decision on which exact target to intercept is made by the unit commander – this requires great experience.
According to him, the hardest part is watching incoming missiles that threaten civilians, critical infrastructure, and soldiers’ families.
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He described the launch of a “Patriot” interceptor missile as “something magical,” because at that moment the system provides the opportunity to protect people from threats from the air.
The US-made “Patriot” anti-missile system has become central to a global supply crisis, as dozens of countries rush to strengthen their defense systems. It is one of the few weapons capable of shooting down ballistic missiles in the Persian Gulf, which is torn by war with Iran. And in Ukraine, they are vital because the country is devastated almost every night by attacks from Moscow.
It is estimated that wealthy Persian Gulf states have used dozens of interceptors, and Dmytro said he always knew that the conflict in the Middle East would eventually affect Ukraine.
“We anticipated that we would have problems. We were very shocked when we saw how many missiles they launched at once… exactly the same missiles that we could use against Russian ballistic missiles,” he said.
On August 5, The Washington Post reported that European governments do not want to transfer additional “Patriot” missile interceptors to Ukraine, fearing weakening their own defense capabilities.
On the same day, the Financial Times, citing sources, reported that US President Donald Trump rejected Volodymyr Zelensky’s request to transfer several hundred “Patriot” missile interceptors to Ukraine.
According to the newspaper, the US president explained his decision by limited missile stocks, which Washington needs to defend its facilities in the Middle East and allies in the region.
Currently, Ukraine is negotiating with European partners for additional interceptor supplies – primarily with Poland and Germany, which have the appropriate weaponry, as well as with Scandinavian countries.
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