Ukraine exhausts its supply of US-made Patriot missiles, CNN reports
The loss of the system Kyiv has leaned on most against Russian ballistic missiles comes as Washington weighs its next move on resupply.
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Ukraine has run through its stock of US-made Patriot air defense missiles, CNN reports. The Patriot system has been Kyiv's primary defense against Russian ballistic missiles, and its depletion leaves a gap in protection as Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure continue, including a recent hit on the CHPP-4 plant.
The shortage lands on top of an already strained air-defense picture. Zelenskyy's delegation raised air defense directly with Witkoff and Kushner earlier this month, and separate disruptions to Starlink service have degraded Ukraine's drone-tracking capability.
A Ukrainian official said an overnight strike on a Russian refinery was carried out in response to Russian missile and drone attacks that broke an energy truce Washington had pushed both sides to observe. Witkoff and Kushner have also pitched Russia a diesel deal meant to soften Moscow's position, though a source close to the Kremlin has said Putin will not negotiate until he secures the remaining 11% of Donbas. The Financial Times has reported separately that Washington is weighing whether to unfreeze Russian assets to revive the talks, adding to the incentives on the table alongside fresh Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries.
The Patriot shortfall raises the stakes on whatever Washington decides about resupply, a decision now tangled up with both the diesel talks and the asset-unfreezing question, tracks Kyiv already views with suspicion.