Ukraine's Air Defense stands strong despite missile shortage reports, says Air Force spokesman
Western partners are well-informed about Ukraine's needs, the Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Ilya Yevlash said on national television on April 12, addressing media reports suggesting that Ukraine faces a shortage of missiles for the Patriot air defense system and the German IRIS-T systems.
"Our partners are clued in on our missile inventory and our requirements," Yevlash stated. "But let's not hit the panic button yet. Our mobile firing units are hitting their mark, knocking down 16 of 17 Shahed drones today alone—a near-perfect score."
Yevlash also highlighted the previous day's success, where Ukrainian forces intercepted 16 out of 20 Kh-101/X-555 missiles and nearly all of the 40 drones, plus two out of four Kh-59 missiles. However, he acknowledged the significant challenges in intercepting Russian Kinzhal missiles.
"Kinzhal missiles aren't your run-of-the-mill targets. They're a whole different ballgame compared to the cruise missiles our teams usually handle," Yevlash explained.
Emphasizing the critical need for more Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems, Yevlash noted, "They're our best shot at effectively countering the enemy's aerial threats. We're eagerly awaiting more of these systems from our allies."
Ukraine does not independently manufacture these systems or the ammunition required for them, he said.
Bild journalist Julian Röpcke reported on April 11 that Ukraine desperately needs to restock its supply of interceptor missiles for Patriot and IRIS-T anti-air systems, having nearly run out of them. Western countries have ample reserves of Patriot launchers and interceptor missiles, he said.
"I would rather not say, Ukraine has ZERO Patriot PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles," he said later.
Röpcke claims his source provided him with the current quantity of such missiles two weeks ago, "but the number was so small, it must be close to nothing now."
Yevlash said in a comment to NV that he cannot disclose the specific quantity of available missiles as this information is classified.
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