The cessation of Patriot missile supplies will pose a threat of destruction to much of Ukraine – The Economist

The cessation of U.S. Patriot missile deliveries will put most of Ukraine at risk of destruction, similar to Kharkiv, where these systems are not deployed due to security concerns.

This was reported by The Economist.

The publication notes that only the Patriot system is capable of intercepting Russian hypersonic and ballistic missiles.

“There may be other sources of Patriot interceptors—for example, the U.S. is working on enabling Japan to co-produce them. However, such supplies are likely to be limited. Additionally, any transfer would require U.S. approval,” the article states.

It is suggested that the French-Italian SAMP/T system could serve as a replacement if it were produced on a larger scale. However, in practice, this system is not capable of neutralizing the fastest missiles, although a more advanced version is expected next year.

Earlier reports indicated that U.S. air defense systems and missiles were likely to be among the first military aid supplies to be cut, as they comprised a significant portion of recent U.S. military packages to Ukraine.

Additionally, The Wall Street Journal reported that if U.S. President Donald Trump does not approve new military aid, Ukraine will be able to sustain its current pace of fighting until summer but will then face a shortage of ammunition. In such a scenario, Kyiv will be unable to use some of its most advanced weaponry.