Ukraine runs out of Patriot missiles, leaving Kyiv vulnerable to Russian ballistic strikes

Ukraine’s air‑defence units have exhausted their supply of Patriot PAC‑3 interceptors, eliminating the only system capable of stopping Russia’s high‑speed ballistic missiles. The shortage was highlighted after a massive Russian raid on 6 July 2026 that employed 23 ballistic missiles, six hypersonic 3M22 Zircon anti‑ship missiles, 39 cruise missiles and 351 UAVs. The attack killed at least 22 people in Kyiv and wounded dozens more. Ukrainian forces shot down 37 cruise missiles and neutralised 326 UAVs, but all ballistic missiles reached their targets because no interceptors were available.

Military analyst Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov told Radio NV that “we simply have no missiles… we have nothing to use against ballistic missiles.” President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the successful defence against UAVs and cruise missiles but warned that continued lack of PAC‑3 rockets could allow Russia to destroy critical infrastructure. The shortage stems from the diversion of PAC‑3 production to the Gulf region, where demand is high, leaving Ukraine dependent on a limited U.S. supply. Other Western systems, such as the French‑Italian SAMP/T, cannot counter ballistic missiles. Ukraine is developing a domestic “Freya” interceptor, but officials say it will not be operational for several months.