Ukraine is running short of missiles for its air defence systems, the Air Force warned on February 2, 2026.
“Left empty”
“Sometimes certain systems are left empty, yet the next attack has to be repelled with something,” Yurii Ihnat, head of communications for the Air Force Command, told RBC-Ukraine.
He named NASAMS, IRIS-T and Patriot as the systems under the most strain. “Sometimes our air defence systems, such as NASAMS or IRIS-T, simply do not have time to reload during such large-scale attacks,” he said.
Overwhelmed
Using Patriot as an example, Ihnat said a battery’s radar may be tracking several ballistic missiles while cruise missiles and Shahed drones approach from another direction. Defending a large city requires several systems, he argued, and the Patriots themselves need protection.
Pressure on partners
Ihnat’s comments followed criticism from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who linked funding gaps among European partners to the missile shortage and said it had allowed Russia to strike Kyiv’s energy infrastructure. Russia has fired thousands of drones and dozens of missiles at Ukraine’s power grid this winter.
Sources
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