Zelenskyy on SAMP/T air defence missile shortage: “We’ve never had enough”
Pravda Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has explained that the shortage of missiles for the SAMP/T air defence system has always been a problem for Ukraine.
Source: Zelenskyy at a briefing broadcast by Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne
Details: Zelenskyy commented on media reports claiming that Ukraine has almost run out of SAMP/T missiles.
Quote: “Regarding SAMP/T missiles, we’ve never had enough of them. That’s the issue with these systems. We’re grateful to Italy and France for providing us with what they have in service. These are sophisticated systems – good systems – but they’re not equivalent to the Patriot. They’re effective and can shoot down targets, but not everything the Patriots can intercept. We appreciate these systems and don’t want to specify the regions, but they have been, and continue to be, helpful.
There is one problem with these systems – a significant shortage of missiles, which has always been a constant issue. However, I don’t want Italy or France to feel offended, as they have provided us with these systems and missiles.”
Details: Zelenskyy noted that one of the things the war taught Ukraine was: “where you can take a licence from a partner, take it, we will do it faster.”
“I didn’t receive these licences, though I really wanted them – it was essential: Patriot, SAMP/T, Hawk. While many countries gave us Hawk systems, they weren’t new and weren’t in service, but they worked. We accepted them because we knew where to find missiles—there are many Hawk missiles worldwide. With SAMP/T, it’s more challenging. Patriot could serve as a replacement for SAMP/T, as they belong to the same class,” Zelenskyy said.
He cited the example of agreements with Germany on the IRIS-T air defence system.
Quote: “We can negotiate with them because they fully produce these systems, which allows us to rely on a consistent monthly supply of IRIS-T.
There are also systems that depend on the political will of four countries to provide us with licences. We are gradually making progress in this area.”
Previously: Corriere della Sera reported that Ukraine has urged the governments of Italy and France to urgently supply additional Aster-30 missiles for SAMP/T anti-aircraft batteries, as the current stockpile is nearly depleted.
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