The situation with Ukraine's air defense has reached a critical point. Sergey "Flash" Beskrestnov, advisor to the Minister of Defense of Ukraine and a radio technology specialist, revealed a shocking reality in a comment to Radio NV: the country has effectively run out of missiles to intercept Russian ballistic threats.
According to the expert, the problem is not limited to Ukraine's borders. There is an acute global shortage of PAC-3 missiles, a key component of the Patriot surface-to-air missile systems. This shortage is driven by the current geopolitical situation and events worldwide.
Attempts to Borrow the 'Shield' from Partners
Although Kyiv has already signed contracts for the supply of new Patriot missiles for the future, the current situation requires immediate solutions. Beskrestnov admitted that Ukraine is trying to negotiate with NATO countries to borrow missiles.
"We are currently trying to ask our partners, NATO countries, to lend us these missiles," noted the advisor. Kyiv promises to return the borrowed ammunition; however, according to "Flash," everyone understands that such agreements are extremely difficult under conditions of instability.
Fear of Escalation in Europe
The reason for partners' refusal or hesitation lies in the fear of a new escalation of the conflict. Beskrestnov pointed to information about possible aggression against Poland and the Baltic states. This is why many countries, including Germany, are striving to preserve their Patriot stockpiles.
"We see a lot of information that there might be some aggression against Poland... And this is the answer to why many countries are now trying to keep stocks of these Patriots, because no one understands what will happen next," he explained.
The expert also called Russia a "strange and aggressive neighbor" whose intentions remain unpredictable. "We do not understand at all what is in Putin's head and what he will do next," emphasized Beskrestnov, noting that even the German Minister of Defense is preparing the country for probable actions from Moscow.
The Reality of Night Strikes
Words about the shortage are backed by facts. Yuriy Ignat, spokesperson for the Air Force of Ukraine, confirmed that the main reason for interception failures is the lack of interceptor missiles for Patriot SAM systems.
Last night, Ukrainian defenders did not shoot down a single ballistic missile heading for Kyiv. At the same time, the percentage of hits on cruise missiles and "Kalibrs" remains high, indicating that the air defense is still capable of working against certain types of threats but is powerless against ballistic warheads without the appropriate ammunition.
