“Ukraine’s urgent needs should be front and centre”: Nine EU ministers push Brussels to unlock Patriot air defense missiles as Russia’s ballistic attacks intensify

Nine European defense ministers have urged the European Commission to rapidly approve Ukraine’s requests to purchase Patriot air defense missiles and other critical non-EU weapons under the bloc’s €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan (USL).

The request comes as Ukraine faces an acute shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles, the only air defense system currently capable of reliably shooting down Russia’s ballistic missiles. Moscow has sharply increased its use of ballistic weapons in recent weeks, repeatedly striking Kyiv with attacks that have killed dozens of civilians and exposed growing gaps in Ukraine’s air defenses.

In a joint letter to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius, the defense ministers of Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, Finland, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Denmark, and Poland urged the Commission to swiftly approve Ukraine’s procurement plans using provisions that allow purchases from third countries rather than waiting for additional reviews or market studies.

Patriot shortages under growing pressure

The appeal comes a day after Russia launched another massive missile and drone assault on Ukraine, killing at least 19 people in Kyiv alone. The overnight attack involved 68 missiles, including 29 ballistic missiles, and 351 attack drones. 

Ukrainian air defenses intercepted or suppressed most incoming targets, but ballistic missiles again proved the most difficult threat to counter because of ongoing shortages of Patriot interceptors. None of the ballistic or Zircon missiles launched during the attack were intercepted.

Ministers seek non-EU weapons for Ukraine

The ministers said Ukraine urgently needs capabilities that European manufacturers cannot currently supply quickly enough. They specifically identified US-made Patriot PAC-3 interceptors as an urgent requirement, alongside AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, ATACMS, ADM-160 MALD decoys, and AGM-88 HARM missiles. 

They argued that there are either no EU alternatives for these systems or that European industry cannot deliver them quickly enough to meet Ukraine’s operational needs.

“Ukraine’s urgent needs should be front and centre,” the ministers wrote.

Ministers warn against procurement delays

They also urged the Commission not to wait for the completion of its mapping of the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base or require Ukraine to conduct additional market studies before approving procurement schedules.

“Making full use of the available instruments will help maintain momentum and enable Ukraine to obtain urgently needed capabilities without unnecessary delay,” the letter states. “This will help keep Ukraine in the fight and support it in protecting human lives.”

Ukraine has repeatedly appealed for Patriot missiles

The latest strike followed another major Russian aerial assault days earlier, on 2 July, after which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said delays in delivering previously promised Patriot missiles had prevented Ukraine from intercepting every ballistic missile. 

He said faster deliveries could have saved lives and homes and urged partners to immediately release interceptors from existing stockpiles while awaiting replacement deliveries.

Europe expands Patriot support

Separately, Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced that Poland, the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden had signed an agreement to establish a European servicing center for Patriot PAC-3 missiles.

Kosiniak-Kamysz said the facility will significantly expand Europe’s capacity to maintain Patriot missiles and accelerate their servicing. The center is intended to strengthen long-term support for Patriot operators, including Ukraine, while expanding defense production and maintenance capabilities in Europe.

Ukraine loan aims to speed military aid

The Ukraine Support Loan, backed by revenues generated from frozen Russian sovereign assets, provides up to €90 billion in funding for Ukraine’s budget and defense needs.

The nine ministers argued that allowing Kyiv to procure urgently needed weapons wherever they are available is essential to ensuring the program delivers military support at the pace required by the war, particularly for capabilities such as Patriot interceptors that European industry cannot currently supply in sufficient quantities.