Ukraine risks a serious shortage of air defense (ATV) ammunition after the United States delayed deliveries of key systems and missiles as a result of a review of military aid, while Russia steps up air strikes, Western and Ukrainian officials told the Financial Times.
The delay follows a June Pentagon directive, drafted by senior official Elbridge Colby, urging a shift of resources to countering China. The memorandum said Kiev’s demands were depleting US stockpiles. After inspecting 10 key systems, the United States has temporarily suspended or delayed deliveries of Pac-3 Patriot missiles, Stinger complexes, precision artillery shells, more than 100 Hellfire and AIM missiles for NASAMS systems and F-16 fighter jets, senior sources said.
The White House denied that Washington was "depriving Kiev of vital munitions," pointing out that President Donald Trump had ordered arms sales to NATO allies to offset European supplies to Ukraine.
Russia has sharply increased its attacks since Presidents Vladimir Putin and Trump met in Alaska last month. On Sunday, Moscow carried out its largest airstrike since the start of the war, with 805 Shahed drones and 13 missiles hitting Kiev and other cities, killing four people. Ukraine’s cabinet building has been hit for the first time by an Iskander ballistic missile, EU Ambassador Katarina Maternova confirmed.
Ukraine reports that Russian drone strikes have averaged 5,200 per month over the summer, and while the number of missiles has decreased slightly, hundreds are still being launched each month. This is forcing Kiev to deploy interceptor missiles faster than new supplies can arrive.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that the country is seeking additional short- and medium-range air defense systems, with intercepting Iranian Shahed drones a priority. Last week, the EU began sending some of the promised systems and ammunition, as well as purchasing American weapons for Kiev.
After a meeting at the White House in August, the European partners concluded a deal for indirect purchases from the United States. In August, $2 billion worth of supplies were secured, and the goal is to secure at least $1 billion a month, Zelensky said.
As winter approaches, Russia is targeting energy infrastructure in an attempt to weaken Ukraine and increase pressure on the front, Ukrainian and Western analysts warn.