Ukraine asks European partners to hand over 10% of air-defense missile stocks

In brief

• Ukraine's defense minister asked E5 countries to transfer 10% of their interceptor missile stocks, including for Patriot and IRIS-T.
• Kyiv offers partners replacement from already contracted future deliveries.
• Ukraine also seeks man-portable air-defense systems and joint drone production, with output potentially doubling in 2027 if funded.

Request to E5 partners

Ukraine's Ministry of Defense said Khmara wrote to defense officials of the E5 countries, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Poland, asking them to consider handing over 10% of their current interceptor stocks now. The ministry said Kyiv has already signed contracts for future interceptor deliveries and proposes that the partners receive replacements from those contracts instead. (Міноборони України звернулося до 5 держав з проханнями передати 10% запасів ракет для ППО – Espreso) (Хмара запропонував країнам E5 передати Україні 10% запасів перехоплювачів в обмін на майбутні поставки – Suspilne) (Украина просит партнеров передать 10% запасов ракет для ПВО — Хмара – NV)

Priority systems

Khmara named Patriot and IRIS-T missiles as the main priority. Ukraine also needs man-portable air-defense systems to counter jet-powered drones, according to the minister. He said Ukraine hopes to obtain such systems both through new purchases financed by the European Union and from partners' existing stocks.

Drone production

The minister also named the development of unmanned systems as a second priority. Ukrainian manufacturers could double drone output in 2027, Khmara said, but only if funding is secured in time. He proposed scaling joint production of Ukrainian drones on the territory of partner countries, arguing that this would increase supply to Ukraine and strengthen the partners' own defense capabilities.

Context

The appeal came a day after the defense chiefs of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and Poland met in Paris and pledged to keep supporting Ukraine. Ukrainian officials have previously said that Ukraine could have had a stock of Patriot missiles for several years if a large share had not been used in the Middle East. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine has been waiting nearly a month for the signature of US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on a decision to supply interceptors for ballistic targets for Patriot and NASAMS systems.