Media: UK to help Ukraine develop alternative to Patriot air defence system

The United Kingdom is set to assist Ukraine in developing an alternative to the US-made Patriot air defence system, in an effort to reduce Kyiv’s reliance on American military supplies, The Telegraph reports.

The move comes as Ukraine faces increasing difficulty intercepting waves of Russian ballistic missile attacks, amid what officials describe as a shortage of advanced air defence systems. Russia has reportedly sought to exploit these gaps by intensifying strikes on Ukrainian cities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously urged Washington to increase deliveries of PAC-3 interceptors used in the Patriot air defence system, which have faced supply constraints.

In parallel, Zelenskyy has proposed the development of a European-built alternative to the US system, though it remains unclear how long it would take to produce a capability matching the interception performance of PAC-3 missiles.

Separately, it was reported that Ukraine has tested a newly developed surface-to-air missile designed as a lower-cost and mass-producible alternative to the Patriot system. Denys Shtilierman, co-founder of Ukrainian defence company Fire Point, said the system is part of ongoing domestic air defence development efforts.

By Sabina Mammadli