‘10% Now’: Ukraine Asks 5 European Allies for Patriot Missiles

Ukraine has asked five European partners to provide 10% of their existing stocks of interceptor missiles for Patriot and IRIS-T air defense systems to help protect the country against Russian attacks, Ukrainian Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara said.The request was directed to the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Poland. Khmara said Ukraine had already signed contracts for future deliveries of interceptor missiles and proposed an exchange that would allow Kyiv to receive ammunition immediately.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.“Ukraine already has contracts in place for future deliveries of interceptor missiles, so it is proposing an exchange: partners would provide a portion of their current stocks now, in return for the shipments that are scheduled to arrive in Ukraine later,” he said on Telegram.Ukraine’s Armed Forces (AFU) also urgently need additional man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS), he added.“Ukraine is counting on funding for new acquisitions, as well as the transfer of systems from the existing stockpiles of its partners,” Khmara said.The minister added Ukraine could double its drone production by 2027 if funding arrived on time. Kyiv is proposing not only to increase procurement but also to expand joint production of Ukrainian drones abroad.“We are proposing not only to increase procurement but also to scale up the joint production of Ukrainian drones in other countries,” Khmara said. He added that the approach would help Ukraine obtain the drones it needs while strengthening the defensive capabilities of partner countries. Other Topics of Interest Ukraine Confirms It Is Honoring US-Brokered Truce in Russian-Occupied Oleshky Ukraine confirms it is honoring the Oleshky ceasefire, but uncertainty remains over aid deliveries, monitoring and civilian evacuations. European allies prepare winter aidFollowing a meeting in Paris with defense ministers from the UK, France, Italy and Poland, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the participating countries had already prepared winter aid packages for Ukraine.“Moreover, we will do everything in our power to ensure that the United States continues to support Ukraine – through its own shipments, and, above all, by providing intelligence and satellite data,” Pistorius said.He added that European countries were working with Kyiv to develop an air defense system.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia was preparing to intensify attacks on major Ukrainian cities.Senior Ukrainian officials told The Economist that Moscow planned to paralyze Kyiv before the onset of colder weather in an effort to destabilize the political situation. According to the officials, Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered attacks on civilian infrastructure across the capital.Separately, Ukrainian officials told the Financial Times (FT) that Moscow intended to increase pressure on Kyiv in hopes of forcing Ukraine to accept Russian demands, including surrendering territory in the Donbas, by early 2027.Ukraine has waited nearly a month for US approval of Patriot missilesUkraine will again raise the issue of delayed air defense missile deliveries with the US, as Kyiv has been waiting nearly a month for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to approve missiles for Patriot and NASAMS systems, Zelensky said on Monday.Zelensky added that he had instructed his team to raise the issue with Washington again. Ukraine is also seeking PAC-2 and PAC-3 interceptors from EU countries and other partners holding existing stocks.The shortage comes as Ukraine struggles to secure enough ammunition to counter Russian ballistic missile attacks. Zelensky previously said Ukraine had received just 24 Patriot interceptors from the US over 90 days, despite requiring around 350 per month.He has also asked European partners to provide 300 interceptors for the winter, but efforts to obtain missiles from existing stockpiles have faced resistance, including from Greece.Meanwhile, Ukrainian Air Force official Yuriy Ihnat said that missiles expended in the Middle East could have sustained Ukraine’s Patriot systems for several years.He said Ukrainian crews had developed more efficient tactics, typically using one interceptor per target and employing ambushes before quickly relocating systems. By contrast, air defense forces in the Middle East have reportedly fired as many as eight interceptors at a single target, including relatively cheap Shahed drones.Zelensky also called for faster implementation of decisions expected to support Ukraine’s air defense, as officials prepare for the next Ramstein-format meeting in November. “Every support package is an opportunity to protect people’s lives,” he said. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.