Zelensky is Seeking 300 Patriot Missiles for Ukraine Defense: In war, history shows that getting through the winter is especially crucial.
It might only be mid-July, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is seeking a specific number of missiles to get through next winter.
Exercise Artemis Strike is a German-led tactical live fire exercise with live Patriot and Stinger missiles at the NATO Missile Firing Installation in Chania, Greece from Oct. 31-Nov. 09. Over 200 U.S. soldiers and approximately 650 German airmen will be participating in the realistic training within a combined construct, exercise the rigors associated with force projection and educate operators on their air missile defense systems. The 10th Army Air Missile Defense Command will deploy, operate and fire live missiles within a tactical scenario, under Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe operational readiness evaluation criteria.
German soldiers assigned to Surface Air and Missile Defense Wing 1 fire the Patriot weapons system at the NATO Missile Firing Installation (NAMFI) during Artemis Strike Nov. 7 in Chania, Greece. Artemis Strike is a German-led multinational air defense exercise. German soldiers Over 200 U.S. soldiers and approximately 650 German airmen will be participating in the realistic training within a combined construct, exercise the rigors associated with force projection and educate operators on their air missile defense systems. (Photo By Officer Candidate Sebastian Apel, Air Defence Missile Group 24)
“We need to start preparing for next winter now. Of course, we are doing everything we can to push Russia toward diplomacy. And this is already the most difficult summer for Russia. Our long-range operations and mid-range strikes will continue. We will strengthen them,” the Ukrainian leader said on social media this week.
“And one of the main ways to strengthen our overall position should be a winter package of air defense missiles. If we have enough protection for the winter, Russia will have far less reason to drag the war into the winter,” he added.
This, he says, means 100 Patriot missiles per month, for a total of 300 for the winter.
A License to Build
This comes after last week’s NATO meeting, when President Trump said he would grant Ukraine a license to produce Patriot missile defense systems.
“We’ll give them the right to make Patriots. We’ll show them how to do it,” the president said at the meeting in Turkey. “I think they can produce them pretty quickly.”
However, there is some skepticism about exactly what that would look like, how quickly it could become a reality, and whether Ukraine could set up a full system.
“A production license would not automatically allow Ukraine to manufacture complete Patriot batteries — including launchers, radar systems, command posts and missiles — from scratch,” the AP wrote last week. “It could instead cover narrower parts of the system, such as interceptor missiles, final assembly from imported component kits or production of selected components.”
The AP also quoted Serhii Beskrestnov, a Ukrainian defense adviser, as stating that such a license would typically “come with technical documentation, training for specialists, supplier contacts and foreign consultants to help launch manufacturing.”
The story also noted that Trump was ambiguous about “Patriots,” and was unclear whether he meant “missiles, launchers, radar systems, command centers or components.”
And Dr. Thomas Withington, a weapons analyst with the Royal United Services Institute, told the AP that Ukraine should manage its expectations.
“This is not going to be a fix for the air-defense threats Ukraine is going to face tomorrow,” he said.
The new Patriot missile request for 300 missiles this winter came up during the Coalition of the Willing meeting in Paris on Monday, where Zelenskyy is meeting with European leaders about plans for the war going forward.
The Patriot missile system was developed by the U.S. and first gained prominence during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. “PATRIOT” stands for “Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target.” They are produced by American defense companies Lockheed Martin and Raytheon,
An Anti-Missile Agreement
The big headline from the Coalition meeting was an agreement between Ukraine and nine other European countries to create a coalition to protect the continent from ballistic missiles.
“Our goal is to build a shared ballistic missile defense capability for Europe,” the countries said in a statement.
The signatories, in addition to Ukraine, were Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
“We believe that protecting Europe requires a comprehensive solution, in the form of an integrated missile defense architecture, to deter and neutralize future missile threats,” the countries said in a statement. “We recognize Ukraine’s unique experience, gained through its defense against the war of aggression waged by Russia.”
Per the AP, there’s no specific timetable for setting up the system, and it remains a possibility that other countries could join the coalition. Zelenskyy did say at the meeting that the countries could “jointly develop a mass-produced, low-cost system with missiles that would let Europe supply itself with new anti-ballistic capability and provide it to others around the world who need protection.”
In addition, the Guardian reported, the U.K. has signed on to the European Union’s 90 billion-pound support loan to Ukraine.
“The move is the latest push by the EU and Britain to work more closely after Britain quit the bloc in 2020 as a result of the Brexit vote,” the story said.
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
