Putin beordrar styrkor att gå in i Ukraina - INVASION NU (2022-02-24)

Air Force Command spokesman Ihnat says the shortage of air defense missiles is real, and "nobody's hiding it." This situation prompts the newspapers to cover this topic in their articles from time to time. Meanwhile, defense industries in the U.S. and Europe are actively expanding their production for the same reason.

For instance, Lockheed Martin received a contract worth $2.5 billion in April 2023 to produce 625 more PAC-3 missiles for the Patriot air defense system scheduled for deliveries ending in December 2029. On the other hand, the manufacturers of anti-aircraft missiles are struggling to keep up with the demand for these weapons, taking into account the war in Ukraine and the overall surge of orders from around the world.

https://en.defence-ua.com/news/ukrainian_air_force_responds_to_assertions_that_us _wont_supply_patriot_missiles_for_much_longer-9133 .html

"I treat such announcements-statements with caution, considering why they are uttered and who can benefit from them," said Yurii Ihnat, Spokesperson of the Ukrainian Air Force Command, the branch of Ukrainian Armed Forces in charge of handling Patriot. Talking to journalists at the United News national television broadcast, the official noted that this is not the first time such reports have emerged in Western media.

The United States will suspend the planned export of hundreds of air defense munitions to its allies and partners and redirect them to Ukraine, the White House said Thursday, as Russia continues its assault on the country’s power grid and other vital infrastructure.
Speaking to reporters, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby characterized the decision as “difficult but necessary,” and said it would affect deliveries of Patriot and NASAMS interceptor missiles, principally. Ukraine, he said, faces a “desperate” need.
“We have, of course, informed all the affected countries that we are taking this extraordinary step, and we’re making every effort to minimize any negative impact,” Kirby said. He added that when U.S. allies were told their shipments would be delayed, “the response we got was broadly supportive … because they know how serious the need is in Ukraine.”