Ukraine has received only about 600 advanced interceptor missiles for the MIM-104 Patriot air defense system during the entire course of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian officials told The New York Times.
Dmytro Lytvyn, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said Kyiv had received roughly that number of interceptor missiles over four years of war.
Ukraine has repeatedly urged Western partners to provide additional Patriot systems and interceptor missiles as Russia continues to launch large-scale missile strikes targeting cities and critical infrastructure.
The Patriot system remains among the few air defense platforms capable of reliably intercepting advanced ballistic missiles, including those used by Russia during its attacks on Ukrainian territory.
Patriot interceptor missiles are expensive and produced in relatively small quantities. A single interceptor costs more than $3 million.
According to the report, global stocks of Patriot missiles remain limited. Only about 620 of the most advanced Patriot interceptors were delivered to militaries worldwide in 2025 – a record level of production.
At the same time, demand for the system has surged amid escalating conflicts.
During the first days of the recent US-Israeli war with Iran, Middle Eastern countries reportedly used more than 800 Patriot interceptors to defend against over 2,000 Iranian drones and more than 500 ballistic missiles, Zelensky and European Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius told the newspaper.
However, because the interceptors are costly and scarce, Ukraine has increasingly used alternative methods to counter less expensive threats such as Iranian-designed Shahed drones used by Russia.
These include machine guns, electronic warfare systems, rockets fired from F-16 fighter jets, and interceptor drones developed in Ukraine.
According to analysis by The New York Times, Russia launched about 5,000 attack drones and decoys toward Ukrainian cities in February alone, while Ukraine managed to destroy about 87% of them.