“We Are Not the Number One Priority”: Zelenskyy Says Ukraine Faces Severe Patriot Missile Shortage

Ukraine is facing a severe shortage of PAC-2 and PAC-3 interceptor missiles for its US-made Patriot air defense systems, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a briefing in Brussels on October 16.

According to Zelenskyy, most available supplies of these missiles have been directed to the Middle East for an extended period.

“There is currently a severe shortage. Most PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles have been going to the Middle East for quite some time. This is no secret,” Zelenskyy said.

“We are not the number one priority when it comes to the allocation of PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles. Nevertheless, we are grateful for the number of missiles we can receive through PURL,” he added.

Despite the limited availability, Ukraine continues to receive some Patriot interceptors from the United States through the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative. The program allows European partners to finance the purchase of US-made military equipment for Ukraine.

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“We receive PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles from the United States through the PURL program. Europe pays for them, meaning these are not free missiles or gifts,” Zelenskyy explained.

The Ukrainian president expressed gratitude to NATO, European countries financing the purchases, the White House administration, and the United States for their continued involvement in supplying air defense equipment.

With interceptor missiles remaining in short supply, Kyiv is also working with international partners to secure additional deliveries in smaller quantities.

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“We are working with Europe and other countries around the world, gathering 2, 5, or 10 missiles at a time. However many we can agree on, however many of the necessary missiles we can obtain, that is how many we deliver to Ukraine to protect people,” Zelenskyy said.

The president emphasized that strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses remains particularly urgent as Russian attacks continue to threaten critical infrastructure across the country.

“Today, we are protecting infrastructure, primarily the energy sector. You are well aware of all these challenges,” Zelenskyy stated.

His remarks follow reports of an even more critical situation involving Ukraine’s Patriot missile stockpiles, with a source familiar with the matter telling CNN on October 15 that the country had completely exhausted its available interceptors.

According to the report, the shortage has significantly undermined Ukraine’s ability to intercept Russian ballistic missiles, raising concerns about the country’s vulnerability to further attacks.

The source told CNN that “almost all the ballistic missiles from the last strike were not intercepted due to lack of the (interceptor) missiles.”

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