The Netherlands is unable to provide Ukraine with additional Patriot interceptor missiles from its own stocks, but is prepared to consider options that will help protect Ukrainian airspace – this was stated in a written comment to Radio Free Europe by Kees Bakheis, spokesperson for the Dutch Ministry of Defence.
“We have already supplied missiles for the Patriot systems and are currently unable to provide any more missiles from our existing stocks. At the same time, we are open to considering any options that will help Ukraine protect its airspace and its people. Air defence has been one of the key areas of our military support and will remain so in the future,” Bakheis noted.
Radio Free Europe asked whether the Netherlands was prepared to consider Ukraine’s request for additional missiles, given that Ukrainian forces had not shot down a single Russian missile during the Russian Federation’s attack on 5 August.
The Dutch Ministry of Defence pointed out that it provides Ukraine with three billion euros a year in military aid.
“This support is guaranteed until at least 2029,” emphasised Kees Bakheis.
According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Russian troops fired 28 missiles and more than a hundred attack drones at Ukraine on the night of 5 August. Almost a hundred drones were destroyed, but there have been no reports of missiles being shot down. The Ukrainian Air Force did not explain the reasons for this to Radio Free Europe. However, this occurred against the backdrop of increasingly vocal discussions about the shortage of interceptor missiles, not only in Ukraine but also among partner nations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that Ukraine’s partners have interceptor missiles and is calling for appropriate political decisions regarding their supply.
In a study, the US think tank CSIS highlights a significant reduction in US stocks of interceptor missiles due to the war against Iran.
On 6 August, US President Donald Trump gave assurances that the United States has “a huge amount of ammunition, particularly of certain types”.
US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker recently stated on Fox News that Washington is considering the possibility of jointly producing interceptors for the Patriot air defence systems with Ukraine and European partners, in order to expand the defence industrial base. However, he identified the top priority as ensuring Ukraine is supplied with the necessary equipment as soon as possible before winter, “either from allies who have surplus missiles, or by increasing production at our own factories”.
In early July, the then Defence Minister Mikhail Fedorov appealed to nearly 40 countries, asking them to temporarily transfer Patriot interceptor missiles from their stockpiles, with a proposal to subsequently replace them with newly manufactured missiles.
Ukraine has not disclosed which countries specifically received these requests. Among the European states that are key donors of military aid to Ukraine, seven are equipped with Patriot systems: Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Greece, Spain and Romania.