Ukraine’s armed forces conceal data on number of Russian missiles to avoid undermining morale

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have stopped publishing reports on the number of missiles launched by Russia during attacks — so as not to show how many of them cannot be intercepted.

This was reported by the British newspaper The Financial Times.

According to the publication, during the latest massive strikes on Kyiv on August 5 and 8, Patriot air defense missile system launchers were left without ammunition. As a result, the Ukrainian Armed Forces were unable to intercept a single ballistic missile.

The FT notes that the shortage of interceptor missiles has become so acute that Ukraine’s Air Force was forced to change the format of its public reports.

“The shortage of interceptor missiles has become so acute that Ukraine’s Air Force stopped disclosing the number of missiles Russia launches, so as not to show how many of them cannot be intercepted,” the FT article states.

According to the publication, Ukrainian officials explained the decision on security grounds, as well as — in part — the need to maintain public morale.

Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat confirmed that the Armed Forces of Ukraine would no longer report daily on the number of missiles launched by Russia against Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously stated that the United States was helping with missiles for the Patriot, while noting that “there still won’t be enough of them.”