Zelenskyy confirms major shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles in Ukraine

Zelenskyy said the shortage was no secret, adding that Ukraine was not a priority recipient of the missiles.

Ukraine continues to receive Patriot interceptors from both the United States and European partners, including through the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative. However, Zelenskyy said Kyiv was able to secure only small batches — sometimes as few as two, five or 10 missiles at a time.

His remarks followed media reports that Ukraine had nearly exhausted its Patriot interceptor stocks.

The Wall Street Journal, citing a source familiar with Ukraine's air defense supplies, reported that the country had only 10 Patriot missiles remaining as of October 7. Those were subsequently used to repel Russian attacks, leaving just a handful, according to the report. Hromadske could not independently verify those figures.

A Ukrainian source also told journalists that deliveries through the PURL initiative had become irregular since May, making it difficult to predict when additional shipments would arrive.

Patriot systems are a critical component of Ukraine's defenses against Russian ballistic missiles, making the availability of interceptors particularly important as Moscow continues its attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.