Kyiv’s winter defense hinges on dwindling allied stocks Poland cannot provide additional Patriot interceptor missiles to Ukraine, Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said, as Kyiv seeks 300 interceptors to defend against Russian ballistic missile attacks ahead of winter. Sikorski told the Polish state news agency PAP in an interview published on Monday that global interceptor shortages had worsened following military operations against Iran, while Russia continued expanding missile production. “Following the attacks on Iran, the shortage of interceptor missiles has indeed increased, and Russia is producing more missiles than we have interceptors to neutralize them. This is a genuine problem,” Sikorski said. “There are NATO countries that still have such resources to contribute, but Poland is not among them,” he added, urging allies with available stocks to supply Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to EU leaders at a Brussels summit on Friday for 300 Patriot interceptors to protect cities and energy infrastructure during winter. “Ukraine can't get by on just two or four missiles from a country every few months,” Zelenskyy said, calling for a coordinated winter package. Patriot interceptors remain crucial to Ukraine’s defense against Russian ballistic missiles, with stocks reportedly running critically low as Moscow intensifies attacks on energy facilities. European allies face supply constraints The Netherlands said in July that it had reached the limit of its ability to supply Patriot missiles from its own inventories, having previously supplied interceptors and helped assemble a complete Patriot system for Ukraine. The Hague, however, has also financed US-made weapons for Ukraine through NATO’s Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative. In February, the Dutch government confirmed its participation in a jointly funded $500 million package that included Patriot missiles from American stocks. Other European allies, including Germany and Norway, have supported additional air-defense deliveries and procurement efforts, although limited inventories and competing defense requirements continue to constrain supplies. US approval delays deepen concerns The shortage has been compounded by reported delays in Washington. Zelenskyy said on Monday that deliveries of American-made missiles financed by allies were being held up, while European partners were also awaiting US authorization to transfer Patriot interceptors from their own stocks. The comments come as Reuters reported that US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had yet to authorize delivery of the latest package of US weaponry purchased by NATO allies under PURL. However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that any delay was not politically motivated. Beyond military assistance, Sikorski called for increased humanitarian support as Ukraine faces another winter with damaged electricity and heating infrastructure. Sikorski also raised the prospect of using frozen Russian central bank assets to finance Ukraine, although he did not expect an agreement before winter amid unresolved concerns over potential Russian legal claims against Belgium.
