Iran has been launching hundreds of drones and missiles daily toward countries in the region. The volume of these attacks is roughly comparable to the daily number of strikes Russia has conducted against Ukraine, although Russia’s air campaign has continued for nearly five years.
Ukrainian officials say the country has received limited numbers of Patriot interceptors since the start of the war. Presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn told The New York Times that Kyiv has received about 600 missiles for the U.S.-made Patriot air defense system since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
According to Lytvyn, most of those interceptors were supplied by European countries. However, the transfers required approval from the United States as the manufacturer of the system.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European Union Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said the conflict in the Middle East led to a large number of Patriot launches in a short period. They stated that more than 800 Patriot missiles were used during the first days of the war that began on February 28.
Those interceptors were used to defend against approximately 2,000 Iranian drones and 500 missiles targeting Israel and Gulf countries. The figures illustrate the intensity of air defense operations during the opening phase of the conflict.
The New York Times reported that the war involving Iran could affect the flow of weapons to Ukraine. The newspaper did not rule out the possibility that the conflict could disrupt future arms deliveries.
Ukrainian officials have already proposed an exchange arrangement with Western partners. Kyiv suggested trading its air defense interceptor drones for additional missiles for Patriot air defense systems.
The newspaper also noted that Ukraine no longer uses Patriot interceptors against Iranian-designed Shahed drones. Military and financial considerations have influenced that decision.
A Shahed drone is estimated to cost no more than $50,000. By comparison, a single Patriot interceptor missile costs about $3 million.
The New York Times also reported that global supplies of Patriot missiles remain limited. The shortage is affecting the availability of interceptors for countries that rely on the system for air defense.
Source: The New York Times.
