Europe May Be Unable to Intercept Russian Ballistic Missiles as Patriot Stocks Fall to Critical Levels

Stockpiles of MIM-104 Patriot interceptor missiles in Europe have fallen to a critical level, raising concern among defense officials that NATO would be unable to defend against Russian ballistic-missile strikes, according to a report citing Pentagon assessments.

Since the outbreak of hostilities with Iran, the United States has expended roughly 1,500 of its 2,330 Patriot missiles, depleting about 65 percent of the total inventory. For comparison, Ukraine has received approximately 600 Patriot missiles since 2022, illustrating the intense demand on the limited Western supply.

Pentagon officials acknowledge that if Russia were to launch ballistic-missile attacks against a NATO military headquarters or an electrical power station, the alliance could find itself in circumstances similar to those in Ukraine and be forced to “take hit after hit,” the report notes.

The figures highlight mounting pressure on Western air- and missile-defense stocks as the United States supports Ukraine while also sustaining operations tied to the conflict with Iran.