Ukraine targets 25 U.S. Patriot systems to anchor lasting air defense and deterrence.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced plans for a multi-year contract to purchase 25 U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems, financed partly through frozen Russian assets. The proposal, if realized, would significantly expand Ukraine’s ability to defend cities and bases from missile and drone attacks.

According to information published by Suspilne, on October 20, 2025, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv is preparing a multi-year contract to acquire 25 MIM-104 Patriot air defense systems, to be delivered in tranches over several years and financed in part by proceeds from frozen Russian assets. He described the request as originating with Ukraine’s Air Force and stressed that production queues and allied political decisions would govern timing. The statement has not been confirmed by the U.S. government or by industry manufacturers.
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The MIM-104 Patriot is a long-range, high-altitude air and missile defense system capable of intercepting aircraft, cruise missiles, and tactical ballistic missiles using advanced radar and hit-to-kill PAC-3 MSE interceptors (Picture source: German MoD).

At the system level, Patriot remains the West’s principal high-to-medium air defense and terminal ballistic missile defense solution. A typical battery integrates the AN/MPQ-65 or 65A phased-array radar, an MSQ-104 or 132 engagement control station, EPP-III power units, communications masts and multiple M903 launchers. The 65A radar introduces gallium nitride transmitters and rear panels that expand coverage toward true 360-degree awareness, a critical attribute for countering low-flying cruise missiles and complex raids. The M903 launcher supports mixed loads of PAC-2 GEM-T for long-range aircraft and cruise missile defense and PAC-3 variants for hit-to-kill ballistic intercepts.

Ukraine’s priority interceptor is expected to be the PAC-3 family, especially PAC-3 MSE, which adds a more powerful motor, refined control surfaces and software to expand the defended footprint against maneuvering and higher-speed targets. A single M903 can carry combinations such as 12 PAC-3 MSE or mixed canisters alongside GEM-T, allowing commanders to tailor loadouts to threat sets. PAC-3 MSE’s hit-to-kill lethality, high-rate guidance processor and networking through the missile’s data link have proven effective against tactical ballistic missiles and advanced cruise missiles.

Scaling to 25 systems would transform Ukraine’s integrated air and missile defense architecture. Each Patriot battery can anchor protection for a major urban area, a strategic energy node or an air base while overlapping sectors generate resilience against saturation attacks. A nationwide Patriot layer would free shorter-range assets for point defense and create protected corridors for future F-16 operations and logistics flows. Mixed GEM-T and PAC-3 MSE loads would let commanders simultaneously service aircraft, cruise missiles and terminal ballistic threats, reducing the need to reshuffle batteries under pressure. The result is a durable posture that raises the cost of coercion and stabilizes the air domain over time.

The procurement path, however, is defined by industry math and allied policy. Zelensky himself noted that manufacturers face long backlogs and that only a political decision in Washington and among European operators could re-prioritize the queue for Ukraine. RTX and its partners report record order books, while PAC-3 seeker and interceptor production is expanding but remains finite, underscoring a multi-year horizon for any 25-system plan. Germany and Norway’s recent moves to fund and transfer additional batteries to Kyiv illustrate one mechanism for near-term bridging while new production comes on line.

Kyiv is broadcasting to Moscow that, irrespective of battlefield swings, the air and missile defense picture over Ukraine will harden year by year. Multi-year Patriot deliveries would signal to investors and residents that critical infrastructure can be defended, to allies that their support yields persistent effects, and to Russia that escalation with long-range strikes will face diminishing returns. For now, the plan remains a presidential statement rather than a signed export letter. But if even a portion of the 25-system ambition is realized, Ukraine’s airspace will be markedly less permissive to Russian missiles in the late 2020s and beyond.

Written by Evan Lerouvillois, Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group.

Evan studied International Relations, and quickly specialized in defense and security. He is particularly interested in the influence of the defense sector on global geopolitics, and analyzes how technological innovations in defense, arms export contracts, and military strategies influence the international geopolitical scene.