Ukraine Is Firing Patriot Missiles as Fast as It Gets Them
The Ukrainian air force is running desperately low on its best air-defense missiles—and hat means more of Russia’s own missiles get through
The United States will resume shipping Patriot air-defense missiles to Ukraine, U.S. Pres. Donald Trump said on Saturday. “They’re going to need them for defense,” Trump said of the missiles. “They’re going to need something because they’re being hit pretty hard.”
Trump’s comments came a few days after news broke that a top U.S. official, potentially U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, unilaterally froze the transfer of as many as 30 Patriot missiles that were already en route to Ukraine.
The Pentagon confirmed shipments of “defensive” weapons would resume.
Trump reversed the aid freeze one day after Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities endured one of the biggest Russian air raids in the 41 months since Russia widened its war on Ukraine. Not coincidentally, Trump spoke to Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin around the same time—a conversation Trump said left him “unhappy.”
“He wants to go all the way, just keep killing people—it’s no good,” Trump said.
Russian forces launched 550 drones and missiles on Friday, according to the Ukrainian air force.
539 were Shahed drones. The raid also involved seven ballistic missiles and four cruise missiles. Ukrainian forces “neutralized” 478 of the munitions, the air force claimed. 268 Shaheds were shot down and another 208 flew off course, likely owing to Ukrainian radio jamming. The Ukrainians also downed two of the cruise missiles.
The ballistic missiles apparently got through, however. Those are the targets the Patriots are supposed to intercept.
…well… isn’t it what they for ?