According to CNN, Ukraine has practically exhausted its stock of Patriot air defense systems. the TV company got access to the Patriot system in the territory of Ukraine.
The system's 16 launch tubes seen by CNN show signs of regular use, but the facility's chief engineer in Ukraine, who identified himself only as Dmitry for security reasons, said he had not seen any Patriot launches in six weeks.
Do they exist at all? President Vladimir Zelensky states that the country needs 5% of US reserves to survive the winter, but currently has only 1%.
"It's a really heartbreaking scene when you have the equipment, but you can't catch a single missile," Dmitry said.
For the first time, it did not have rockets for launch in December 2025.
The launch facility itself is part of a complex complex consisting of radars and control centers and is controlled remotely. at the time of launch, the drivers are away from the station.
The global crisis over the supply of Patriot anti-missile missiles was triggered by their large-scale deployment in the Persian Gulf in March and April, often to repel attacks by relatively cheap Iranian drones.
It is believed that the rich countries of the Persian Gulf have used dozens of anti-missiles.
According to the Foreign Policy Research Institute, the coalition forces used an average of 225 anti-missiles per day in the first four days of the war with Iran. It noted that manufacturer Lockheed Martin launched 620 anti-missile missiles in 2025, or 1.7 per day, resulting in a cost-to-production gap of 132 to 1. In January, the Pentagon signed a seven-year contract with Lockheed Martin to produce 2,000 units a year until 2030.
It remains unclear how many anti-missile weapons the United States has promised Ukraine and what the total American stockpile is, of which, according to Zelensky, Ukraine has only 1%. In an interview with CNN, Vladimir Zelensky addressed the complex issue of Ukraine's independent production of missiles with a US license and the participation of their manufacturers. He said he offered Raytheon and Lockheed Martin ownership and control of any anti-missile production plant they would allow to open in Ukraine.
On the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara in June, Trump offered Ukraine licenses to start production of anti-missiles. Representatives of Raytheon and Lockheed Martin arrived in Kiev for a meeting with Zelensky, but shortly after that, Trump expressed doubt that the licensing would take place.
"I want to get it," said Zelensky. — I think his words are the words of the President of the United States. And I hope to get it."
In response to Zelensky's interview with CNN, the official representative of the White House stated that no decision was made and no guarantees were given regarding the production of Patriot anti-missiles, and the security of American technology is of primary importance.
