One of the most high-profile complaints made most recently by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is that his cities are getting pounded every night by Russian ballistic missile attacks, and there is nothing his missile defense batteries can do about it.
Ukraine has run out of the Patriot PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptor missiles, and there are almost no stocks left in any country that could be sent to Ukraine as replacement inventory.
President Donald J. Trump and President Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. White House Photo.
Even the US has low stocks at present, with its inventory having fallen by 65 percent from the pre-war levels.
And, as one would expect, the other problem for Ukraine is that Russia has been modifying its missiles so that they descend into the terminal phase at steep angles, which makes them more difficult to intercept.
But a lesser-publicized complaint from the Ukrainian leader is that many Russian companies key to ballistic missile production remain unsanctioned.
Most of the 17 key Russian companies engaged in the production of ballistic missile designs are evading sanctions by operating through foreign jurisdictions or front companies.
President Volodymyr Zelensky explained the situation at an annual meeting of the heads of Ukraine’s diplomatic missions on 3 August.
Closing these loopholes, as he points out, is more urgent than ever now as Ukraine faces this near drought of interceptors that can take down Russian ballistic weapons.
During a recent large-scale attack, Ukrainian air defenses shot down only one of the 27 ballistic missiles fired at them due to a shortage of Patriot PAC-3 interceptors. During his meeting with the head of Ukraine’s diplomatic posts abroad, Zelensky called out for closer coordination of sanctions among allied countries.
UK Tightening Sanctions
If this could be accomplished, he said, Ukraine’s partners could impose secondary sanctions on banks and other financial institutions that assist Russia in paying for the inputs it uses for its defense industrial enterprises.
“Some key Russian enterprises involved in ballistic missile production are [still] not under sanctions imposed by the US, the UK, Japan, Switzerland, and other jurisdictions,” Zelensky said.
A few days later, the UK responded by sanctioning Russian companies producing metals needed for hypersonic missiles, drones, and weapons.
Among the measures announced last week were sanctions on four Russian companies importing the rare metals tantalum and niobium.
Both metals are critical for the production of Moscow’s most advanced and destructive missile systems. Niobium is used in hypersonic missiles, rocket nozzles, combustion chambers and heat shields.
It is also used in the development of some warheads.
Ed Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, has since announced a comprehensive package of new bans designed to cripple Vladimir Putin’s war machine in Ukraine.
Tantalum importers arming Russia’s drones join six banks and shadow tankers on the UK sanctions list.
Miliband stated that “Today’s new sanctions demonstrate the UK’s unwavering commitment to supporting Ukraine and bearing down on those propping up the Kremlin’s aggression.
Ukraine’s fight is our fight. Those that threaten Ukraine’s freedom and democracy are a threat to Britain’s security at home.”
“That’s why we will continue stepping up the pressure on Russia until a just and lasting peace has been reached,” he added.
New UK Defence Secretary Visits Kyiv
News of the new sanctions came a day after Wes Streeting, the new UK Defence Secretary, made his first visit to Kyiv.
Streeting made a point of speaking with Ukrainian officials about ballistic missile defense and weapons production during his meetings in the Ukrainian capital.
The Defence Secretary met with Zelensky just hours after Russia launched an attack of 24 ballistic missiles and 115 drones at Kyiv and the surrounding region.
At least 17 people were killed, and dozens were injured in the attack, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Speaking on Thursday, John Healey, the Chancellor, said: “Our commitment to stand with the Ukrainian people is absolute.”
“That’s why we’re introducing new, tougher sanctions to choke off the funds that fuel [Vladimir] Putin’s illegal war and are targeting his shadow fleet.
And the UK will continue to step up our action against Russia and its shadow fleet activity to protect our national security, our economy, and global stability.”
The new sanctions come after Miliband held talks with Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, discussions which he described as “very productive”. Miliband and Rubio reportedly spoke about how they could further support Ukraine against Russia, the Foreign Secretary told reporters.
About the Author: Reuben F. Johnson
Reuben F. Johnson has thirty-six years of experience analyzing and reporting on foreign weapons systems, defense technologies, and international arms export policy. Johnson is the Director of Research at the Casimir Pulaski Foundation. He is also a survivor of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He worked for years in the American defense industry as a foreign technology analyst and later as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Defense, the Departments of the Navy and Air Force, and the governments of the United Kingdom and Australia. In 2022-2023, he won two awards in a row for his defense reporting. He holds a bachelor’s degree from DePauw University and a master’s degree from Miami University in Ohio, specializing in Soviet and Russian studies. He lives in Warsaw.
