Ukraine: We Could Not Shoot Down a Single Russian Missile

Kyiv awoke to explosions Wednesday as a Russian barrage of missiles and drones killed at least 17 people in the capital and nearby towns, underscoring Ukraine's dwindling stock of Patriot air-defense interceptors. Ukraine's air force reported it could not shoot down any of the 28 missiles launched. This follows an early Saturday attack on Kyiv, after which Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X that "only one ballistic missile was intercepted, simply because there are no interceptors for the Patriot systems," reported NPR.

He again took to X on Wednesday: "Ballistic missile interceptors could have saved the lives of those killed today. It is very important that our partners understand that delays in supplying them, or an unwillingness to provide antiballistic systems, lead directly to such horrific casualties and destruction." The Wall Street Journal reports the Iran war has exacerbated the global shortage of Patriot interceptors, and President Trump has waffled on whether he wants to give Ukraine the technology to manufacture them itself. By the Center for Strategic and International Studies' count, the US has around 800 Patriot interceptors, down from more than 2,300 prior to the war's start.