Ukraine could face a shortage of Patriot missiles due to the escalation of conflict in the Middle East, according to Politico.
The concern stems from the heavy use of Tomahawk cruise missiles, each costing about $3.6 million. Over the past five years, the Pentagon purchased only 322 such missiles. According to estimates by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), 168 Tomahawks were already used during the first 100 hours of the war.
“The escalation of the military conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran creates a direct threat to Ukraine’s defense capabilities. Redirecting American resources to the Middle Eastern theater could leave Kyiv without key air defense systems and other vital resources,” the publication notes.
According to Politico, the United States and its allies have already launched hundreds of Patriot interceptor missiles to counter Iranian ballistic missiles and attack drones, rapidly depleting stockpiles that could otherwise have been supplied to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).
“It goes without saying that Kyiv will suffer, as the United States will prioritize its own national needs in the coming months,” an unnamed official from a NATO country told the publication.
Experts warn that the United States is consuming Patriot system ammunition too quickly in the confrontation with Iran, while Ukraine desperately needs these systems.
At this pace, analysts say, Ukraine risks running out of interceptor missiles and could lose its ability to defend against strikes by the Russian army. Unnamed sources in the United States and Europe also told Politico that the situation directly contradicts Ukraine’s reliance on long-term contracts for the supply of American air defense systems.
Meanwhile, officials in Brussels fear that Russian forces could seize the initiative and break through the front lines while the United States and European partners remain focused on the conflict in the Middle East.
