KYIV — Ukraine is seeking to acquire nearly 1,000 Patriot missiles from allied countries using a loan provided by the European Union, as Kyiv faces an ongoing shortage of air-defense interceptors.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Yevhen Khmara announced the plan on Tuesday following a meeting at the Defence Ministry, saying Kyiv had already begun discussions with several countries over the purchase.
Under an agreement with the European Union, the bloc is providing Ukraine with financing for the procurement. In return, Ukraine is expected to contribute to efforts to improve European missile capabilities. Part of the loan will also be used to support drone supplies to the EU, according to the minister.
Ukraine has been facing a shortage of Patriot missiles since June. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly asked US President Donald Trump for additional missile supplies, but Washington has declined to provide them. In August, Zelenskyy also sought US approval to produce Patriot missiles domestically, but that request was reportedly rejected.
The Patriot is a US-made mobile surface-to-air missile system designed to intercept aircraft, cruise missiles and certain ballistic missile threats.
Ukraine shares a 1,925-kilometre border with Russia, with fighting currently taking place along roughly 1,200 kilometres of the frontier, according to the Ukrainian defence minister. He accused Russia of attempting to spread fear among Ukrainians as it struggles to gain an advantage on the battlefield.
Russia on Tuesday resumed heavy drone and missile attacks on Kyiv after a temporary lull during the visit of US peace negotiators. Officials said five people were killed in the capital, while several others died in attacks elsewhere in the country.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told the meeting that Ukraine’s allies had no alternative but to increase support, saying Kyiv needed to be able to exploit opportunities emerging on the battlefield while strengthening its ability to defend itself from air attacks.
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