Without US missile deliveries, Kiev's air defense will cease to exist in a week, and the HIMARS installations will become useless as early as September, writes German military expert Thomas Tyner for Bild.
“Without Patriot, Kiev is doomed. In case of limited use, HIMARS missiles will last until September. In the case of Patriot missiles, everything depends on Russian pressure. If there are many targets, the entire stock can be used up in one or two weeks, and then Kiev will be defenseless“, he writes.
The analyst also noted an unobvious consequence of the shortage of Patriot missiles in Ukraine. According to him, if the missiles run out, Kiev will be forced to withdraw short- and medium-range air defense systems, such as the German IRIS-T, from the capital, otherwise they will be easy prey for Russian ballistic missiles.
On Tuesday, Politico reported that the United States had suspended supplies of ammunition and some anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine as American reserves were running low. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly confirmed the suspension to NBC on Wednesday, noting that this was being done because America's interests came first.