Kyiv could receive 35 interceptor missiles for its US-made Patriot air defense systems from European backers soon, contingent on a joint agreement, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced Thursday.
Pistorius proposed that Germany supply five Patriot interceptors, provided other European nations collectively contribute an additional 30. The initiative was introduced spontaneously during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, known as the Ramstein group, in Brussels. The proposal requires formal approval from participating governments, a step Pistorius described as pending but expressed optimism about. If approved, delivery could occur within days rather than weeks or months.
The request highlights the intense resource demands of Ukraine’s air defense. Each Patriot interceptor costs between $3.5 million and $5 million, and it typically requires two missiles to successfully engage a single target. Russia’s military campaign relies on large-scale salvos, deploying dozens of cruise missiles and hundreds of drones in recent strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously attributed rolling blackouts in major cities directly to shortages of defensive missiles, stating, “There will be no light because there are no missiles for defense.”
The Ramstein meeting resulted in broader commitments; UK Defense Minister John Healy confirmed that allies agreed on $35 billion in new military aid for Kyiv. The UK’s share includes £500 million ($682 million) earmarked for urgent air defense supplies.
Russia, meanwhile, claimed its forces struck 147 Ukrainian targets on Thursday, including an airfield and military facilities, describing the attack as retaliation for Ukrainian “terrorist attacks” inside Russia. This followed Kyiv’s reported use of US-made HIMARS rockets, drones, and glide bombs against Russian civilian infrastructure in previous days.
Moscow has consistently warned that Western weapons deliveries to Ukraine will not alter the conflict’s outcome but will instead prolong hostilities and heighten the risk of a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO. The proposed European missile package, still awaiting unanimous endorsement, represents a critical logistical step to replenish Ukraine’s depleted air defense stockpiles amid sustained aerial bombardments.
