Poland prepares to hand over new batch of Patriot missiles to Ukraine - sources
Poland plans to transfer several more interceptor missiles for Patriot systems to Ukraine as part of a new military aid package. This involves a small number of munitions amid a acute shortage of such missiles in Ukrainian air defense and Russia's intensification of strikes using ballistic missiles and new jet-powered drones.
This is reported by Rzeczpospolita citing sources in Polish government and military circles.
The new Polish aid package to Ukraine is estimated at €50 million. Previously, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense reported that it would include air defense assets, but did not reveal the specific composition.
According to Rzeczpospolita, the weapons planned include several missiles for Patriot. The commander of the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces, General Ireneusz Nowak, responding to a question about the possibility of such a transfer, stated that he supports it within the already agreed quantity.
He emphasized that this is a small batch, not a mass transfer of munitions.
The Polish Ministry of National Defense officially does not disclose the composition of the package. The ministry confirmed the preparation of new aid to Ukraine but said detailed information about it is classified. At the same time, the Defense Ministry did not refute the information about Patriot missiles.
Poland has previously transferred Patriot missiles to Ukraine
This will not be the first transfer of such munitions from Polish stocks. In the spring of 2026, Warsaw provided Ukraine with five PAC-3 MSE missiles capable of intercepting ballistic targets.
Later, Prime Minister Donald Tusk publicly confirmed the number of missiles transferred. Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz explained at the time that destroying Russian ballistic missiles over Ukraine before they approach the Polish border is in Poland's own security interests.
At the same time, Warsaw emphasizes that such deliveries should not weaken its own air defense. Poland has 16 Patriot launchers and has contracted about 200 PAC-3 MSE missiles, but part of the ordered munitions has not yet been delivered.
Ukraine faces acute shortage of interceptors
New Polish aid is being prepared at a time when missile stockpiles for Ukrainian Patriots remain critically limited. These systems are one of Ukraine's main means for intercepting Russian ballistic missiles.
President Volodymyr Zelensky in August called ballistic missiles the biggest problem for Ukrainian air defense. During one of the massive attacks, Ukrainian forces managed to destroy about 90% of cruise missiles, but the result against ballistic targets was significantly worse.
"We need missiles for Patriot, and only our partners can provide them", - Zelensky stated.
In early September, the president again told partners that Ukraine primarily needs additional interceptor missiles for Patriot. Kyiv is trying to simultaneously obtain munitions from existing allied stocks and finance new purchases, as production capacity is insufficient to quickly cover demand.
The situation is further complicated by changes in Russian air attack tactics. In addition to ballistic missiles, Russia is increasingly using jet-powered versions of "Shaheds", which have significantly higher speed than conventional attack drones.
To combat them, Ukraine is separately developing high-speed interceptor drones and cheaper missiles. On September 15, Zelensky reported the successful testing of another Ukrainian solution against a jet-powered "Shahed", although the system still needs technical refinement.
Thus, Patriot missiles remain an critically important resource primarily for combating Russian ballistic missiles, while the massive use of conventional and jet-powered drones simultaneously increases the load on other echelons of the Ukrainian air defense system.
Based on materials from: Rzeczpospolita, Office of the President of Ukraine, Office of the President of Ukraine
