May became a month of unprecedented loads for Ukraine's air defense system. Despite a sharp increase in the intensity of enemy attacks, Ukrainian crews demonstrated high efficiency, however, the situation on the front requires an immediate solution to the ammunition shortage problem.
Air war statistics: figures and facts
According to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine press service, published by RBC-Ukraine, in May the enemy used 8,351 means of air attack. This is a significant increase compared to April, when about 6,700 objects were recorded. The enemy used a wide range of weapons, including drones and various types of missiles.
Drones made up the largest share of attacks. The enemy launched 8,150 drones of the "Shahed", "Gerbera" and "Italmas" types. Air defense crews successfully intercepted 7,476 of them, which is an efficiency rate of 91.73%. The overall interception rate of all air targets during mass strikes reached 90.75%.
The situation with missile interception looks more complicated. Of the 211 cruise and ballistic missiles fired at the country, 112 were shot down. The efficiency was more than 53%. It is in this segment that a critical vulnerability of the defense system is observed.
Critical shortage of anti-ballistic missiles
Representatives of the Ministry of Defense emphasize that under record loads, missiles capable of shooting down ballistic targets are urgently needed. The ministry directly pointed to the dependence on the support of international partners for the purchase of PAC-3 missiles for Patriot air defense systems, which are the key tool for intercepting ballistic missiles.
Spokesperson of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yuriy Ignat previously stated that ammunition stocks in certain units were exhausted. According to him, Patriot, NASAMS and IRIS-T systems need urgent new supplies to maintain defense capabilities.
Political and financial barriers
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported the existence of a political agreement on the purchase of additional Patriot systems. However, the implementation of the agreement is being delayed due to a complex of financial, legal and technical issues. On May 27, the head of state sent an urgent appeal to US President Donald Trump and Congress, emphasizing that the lack of air defense means creates a direct threat to the civilian population.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed that PAC-2 and PAC-3 interceptor missiles remain a key element of Ukraine's defense. According to him, supplies from the US continue, but their volume does not always keep up with the rate of stock depletion.
Plan for localization of production
To solve the shortage problem in the long term, Ukraine is considering the possibility of producing Patriot systems jointly with partners. A separate direction of work became negotiations with the US on obtaining a license to produce these systems on the territory of Ukraine, which could reduce dependence on external supplies.