KYIV — Ukraine has begun the process of purchasing about 100 U.S.-made Patriot interceptor missiles through a European Union-backed loan worth around $1 billion, the Ministry of Defence said on July 2, as Kyiv works to replenish stocks used against continuing Russian missile attacks.
The purchase will be financed through an EU loan mechanism and forms part of Ukraine's effort to secure a longer-term supply of Patriot interceptors instead of relying only on emergency transfers from partner countries. Officials said maintaining stocks of anti-ballistic missiles has become increasingly difficult after repeated large-scale Russian strikes.
The issue became more pressing following the overnight attack on July 1-2, when Russian forces launched nearly 500 strike drones and 77 missiles, including 25 ballistic or hypersonic missiles, at targets across Ukraine. Ukrainian air defence units intercepted more than 90% of the cruise missiles and Shahed-type drones, the ministry said, but added that shortages of Patriot interceptors continue to limit the country's ability to engage ballistic missiles.
Ukraine is also seeking immediate deliveries while the new procurement moves forward.
Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has sent official letters to nearly 40 partner nations requesting transfers of Patriot missiles from their active inventories this month. Under the proposal, countries providing missiles now would later receive replacements through future deliveries already contracted by Kyiv.
"The protection of Ukrainian skies depends on fast decisions," the ministry said, urging partners to use existing international procurement and financing mechanisms, including the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) and JUMPSTART, to speed up deliveries.
The planned purchase adds to agreements signed earlier this year. In April, Ukraine concluded what the ministry described as a record contract for hundreds of PAC-2 Patriot missiles with German support. Deliveries under that agreement are scheduled over the coming years.
Ukraine has also started receiving Patriot missiles directly from European partner stockpiles for the first time this year, rather than depending only on U.S. deliveries.
The ministry said operational changes based on NATO's "After Action Review" standard have more than doubled the effectiveness of Patriot batteries against highly manoeuvrable Russian Iskander ballistic missiles, though it did not provide further operational details.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine is seeking licences to manufacture Patriot systems domestically or through joint ventures with European defence companies. Discussions with the United States on local production have continued, while Ukrainian officials are also seeking decisions on air-defence financing, additional system allocations and production arrangements ahead of the upcoming NATO summit.
No delivery timeline for the new batch of roughly 100 Patriot interceptors has been announced.
Source: businessinsider.
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