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🇫🇷 France /Conflict & Security

Ukraine's critical shortage of ballistic missile interceptors hinders defense against Russian strikes

From Le Figaro · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Ukraine faces a critical shortage of ballistic missile interceptors, hindering its ability to defend against Russian strikes.
  • President Zelenskyy has urged allies to provide more interceptors, stating they could have saved lives in recent attacks.
  • The scarcity is partly attributed to depleted Western stocks and delivery delays, impacting Ukraine's air defense capabilities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly warned allies about his country's dwindling supply of ballistic missile interceptors. He stated that these defenses could have saved 17 lives lost in recent Russian strikes on Kyiv and its surrounding region.

Ukraine's air defense system was overwhelmed by 28 enemy missiles, including Iskander and Zircon hypersonic types, failing to intercept any of them. Additionally, only 98 out of 115 drones were neutralized. Zelenskyy attributed these failures to "delivery delays" and the "reluctance" of international partners.

These weapons of defense 'could have saved the lives' of the 17 people who died in Russian night strikes on Kyiv and its region.

— Volodymyr ZelenskyyPresident Zelenskyy highlighting the impact of the missile interceptor shortage on recent casualties.

The article suggests that the war between the United States and Iran has significantly depleted global stocks of interceptors. The number of interceptors supplied to Ukraine has reportedly decreased by two-thirds compared to previous periods, exacerbating the critical shortage. This situation leaves Ukraine vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated Russian missile attacks.

delivery delays and reluctance of its partners

— Volodymyr ZelenskyyPresident Zelenskyy explaining the reasons behind Ukraine's inability to intercept all incoming Russian missiles.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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