Patriot Systems in Ukraine Have Been Sitting Empty for Weeks, Interceptor Missiles Are Nearly Exhausted – CNN. VIDEO
Ukraine’s Patriot units are running low on missiles after heavy use in the Persian Gulf and slow production, leaving 16 launchers idle, CNN reported.
- Ukraine granted CNN journalists access on Monday to idle Patriot launchers, revealing a critical interceptor shortage as unit chief engineer Dmytro confirmed the system had not fired in six weeks.
- Heavy usage in the Persian Gulf against Iranian drones, where coalition forces expended 225 interceptors daily, created a 132 to 1 usage-to-production gap as Lockheed Martin produced only 620 units in 2025.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed allowing Raytheon and Lockheed Martin to build interceptors directly in Ukraine, offering manufacturers full operational control, though United States defense contractors resisted citing security concerns.
- The White House clarified that no production guarantees exist, while President Donald Trump expressed doubts about issuing licenses, leaving Ukraine with only 1% of the stockpiles required for winter.
- Unit chief engineer Dmytro described the operational reality as "It's really a terrible sight," noting that empty launchers leave civilians vulnerable while Heorhiy and crew members face constant pressure deciding which threats to intercept.
17 Articles
17 Articles
One of the world's most sought-after weapons systems lies unused in a cornfield near Kiev. The launcher of the US Patriot air defense system is empty and was last fired ten weeks ago. The reason is a critical shortage of PAC-3 missiles, which are launched from the Patriots.
The American-made Patriot anti-aircraft system remains idle in the fields of Ukraine, as the country has been starved of the precious interceptor missiles for weeks. The post Kiev in despair: The global Patriot shortage leaves Ukraine defenseless against Russia appeared first on in.gr.
Patriot Footage Under Scrutiny: German Launcher, Empty Missiles and Missing Evidence
Television network CNN aired a report showing a Patriot air defense system launcher. According to the report, the launcher had been abandoned in a forest near Kyiv because Ukrainian forces had run out of interceptor missiles for it. But, as one of the chief editors the author once worked with used to say, "you have to work more carefully.” Let us start with the fact that the footage shows a Patriot system intended for Germany. In the US Armed Fo…
Ukraine Reveals Its Achilles' Heel to CNN: 'Like When You Learn to Walk, But You Can't Walk Anymore'
It is also the most wanted weapon in the world, but it is currently languishing in a cornfield, with empty containers, and the last time it fired an interceptor was ten weeks ago.
Ukraine, plagued by a shortage of Patriot missiles, struggles to defend itself against Russian air attacks. For six weeks, no fire from these anti-aircraft systems has been carried out, exposing civilians to a...
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