Patriots are among the most widely deployed AD systems in the world—from Europe to the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East. However, some U.S. allies have far more differential access to these interceptors than others, as recently highlighted by Ukraine.
“800 Patriot missiles were used for air defence in just 3 days in the Middle East. Ukraine received 600 in 4 years of full-scale war,” the Defence of Ukraine wrote on the social media site X on March 10, 2026. “Russia, Iran, and North Korea form a new Axis of Evil. Ukraine was the first to confront this Axis. We continue to fight, but we need support. The free world must stop managing this threat — and start defeating it,” it added.
The Patriot systems have played a critical role in defending U.S. and allied assets during the joint U.S.-Israeli military operations, which began on February 28. The operation targeted Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, ballistic missile sites, naval forces, and senior leadership, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The strikes triggered a massive Iranian retaliation on the U.S. and Israeli assets in the region, as well as the U.S. military facilities across the Gulf.
Iran attacked military facilities as well as civilian infrastructure linked to the U.S. The U.S. and allied forces in the Gulf downed these threats using a range of AD systems, most notably Patriot interceptors, which are among the most advanced in the world.
In addition to U.S. forces deployed across the region, allies such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain operate Patriot systems.
With Iran relentlessly launching attacks using ballistic missiles and cheap one-way attack drones, the U.S. could transfer its Patriot and THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Air Defence) systems from South Korea to the CENTCOM (Central Command) area of responsibility, further reinforcing the strategic value of these assets.
Notably, the statement published by the official X handle of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry comes days after Dmytro Lytvyn, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, first made the same assertion about the delivery of MIM-104 Patriot to Ukraine.
There has, nonetheless, been a global shortage of Patriot missiles in recent years due to a surge in demand. For instance, in 2025, a record-breaking 620 of the most advanced interceptors were delivered to armed forces worldwide. However, as conflicts escalate globally, demand for them has also increased at an unprecedented rate.
Ukraine has received several Patriot batteries from allies since 2023, including from the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands. However, the supply of interceptor missiles has been constrained by several factors, including the high cost per interceptor (over $3 million per unit), limited production capacity, and allies’ perception that they need to maintain their own stockpiles for future contingencies.
Additionally, unlike Middle Eastern countries that have used Patriots in the ongoing conflict from their existing arsenals and past purchases, Ukraine did not have access to these systems before 2023, meaning it lacked sufficient stockpiles and has been entirely dependent on allies for military aid.
As of now, Ukraine uses the Patriot interceptors sparingly, mostly to neutralise high-value targets such as ballistic missiles and hypersonic missiles.
While Ukraine’s claims prove a crucial point of the laggardness in providing critical aid, some experts speculate that the Middle East saw a greater usage of Patriot due to Iran’s overwhelming use of ballistic missiles, which often warrants the use of more interceptors.
This is because ballistic missiles move very fast, and radar tracking can have small errors. And for countries defending U.S. military bases, the need to reduce interceptor failure in a short, high-voltage conflict takes centre stage, potentially leading to the firing of multiple missiles at a single target.
Russia uses a combination of drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles to attack Ukraine on a daily basis.
Due to resource constraints, Ukrainian Patriot operators could use only one Patriot missile per ballistic target engagement, as seen in a video from the 96th Kyiv Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade intercepting Russian ballistic missiles in February 2026. In contrast, a video of Patriot intercepting Iranian ballistic missiles in Qatar shows the use of 15-16 interceptors to hit 3-4 targets, as Defence Express emphasised in a recent report.
The Patriot system is still one of the few air defence systems that can reliably intercept sophisticated ballistic missiles, such as those that Russia employed to attack Ukrainian territory. This is why Ukraine has repeatedly asked Western partners to supply more Patriot systems and interceptor missiles.
Notably, the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, stated earlier this month that the European Union is seeking measures to mitigate the risks associated with the transfer of Patriot air-defence system missiles to Ukraine, in light of events in the Middle East.
However, experts have raised concerns that Ukraine may see a severe shortage of American PAC-3 interceptor missiles for Patriot air defence systems, which would almost certainly be exploited by Russia to intensify missile attacks across Ukrainian cities, particularly on energy infrastructure.
Berlin is now assembling a package of over 30 Patriot interceptors to send to Ukraine, according to a recent Spiegel report. But as Kyiv has consistently maintained, it needs more missiles than the allies are ready to provide.
Patriots: The Most Potent Defence In Ukraine
Nearly three years ago, in April 2023, Ukraine received its first Patriot missile system. However, the supply of interceptors has remained inconsistent ever since, with shortages persisting. Last year, for instance, Patriot launchers occasionally stood empty due to a lack of missiles, particularly during Russian winter attacks on Kyiv’s vital infrastructure.
According to Air Force figures, Russia launched some 250 ballistic, aero-ballistic, and hypersonic missiles at Ukraine during the winter of 2025–2026.
Last year, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine and the U.S. are preparing a contract for 25 Patriot air defence systems. However, it will take years before the U.S. can deliver them to Ukraine, as several other customers are currently in line amid surging demand for these battle-tested AD systems.
The shortage has persisted even after U.S. President Donald Trump announced in July of last year that the European Union would cover the cost of the U.S. sending an unspecified number of Patriots to Kyiv.
“Patriots are a priority for us,” Mr. Zelensky said in audio comments sent to reporters on March 10. He stated that he “doesn’t even dream” of purchasing new Patriot launchers, emphasising the significance of restocking missile supply for existing weapon systems.
Patriots can intercept aircraft, tactical ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles, depending on the interceptor used.
The older PAC-2 interceptor uses a blast-fragmentation payload that detonates near the target. Meanwhile, the PAC-3 MSE is the most advanced variant of the Patriot interceptor. It uses hit-to-kill technology to destroy targets by direct impact, increasing the efficacy against modern threats by delivering significantly more kinetic energy.
Although the type of Patriot systems delivered to Ukraine is unknown, Kyiv probably possesses at least some PAC-3 interceptors.
Ukraine, on its part, has achieved some stellar kills using Patriot missiles, including the Kinzhal hypersonic missile, which was projected as invincible by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Additionally, the Patriots have also been held responsible for destroying several Russian warplanes, including the Su-34 Fullback, the Su-35 Flanker-E, as well as the A-50 radar aircraft.
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