Ukrainian Defence Minister Jewhenij Chmara has proposed that European states transfer 10% of their interceptor missile stocks to Ukraine, including for Patriot and IRIS-T systems. He directed the request to the defence ministries of Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Poland and Italy.
As the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence reported, and as outlets glavnoe.in.ua and iz.ru followed, Chmara made the proposal at a meeting in the E5 format. It was also attended by EU Commissioner for Defence Andrius Kubilius, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Szekerinska.
Missiles now, deliveries later
The minister named air defence the first critical priority. Ukraine already has contracts for future interceptor missile deliveries. It proposes that partners give up part of their current stocks in exchange for equipment Ukraine would receive later.
The request concerns 10% of available stocks of selected missile types, including those for Patriot and IRIS-T. According to the Ukrainian ministry, these are missiles Ukraine is ordering with funds from the EU loan.
MANPADS and drones for 2027
Chmara also stressed the urgent need for man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS) to counter jet-powered drones. Ukraine is counting both on funding for new purchases and on transfers of systems from partners’ stocks.
The minister also called for timely funding of unmanned systems production in 2027. In his view, this would allow increasing drone deliveries to Ukraine and strengthening the defence capabilities of the partners themselves. Support for next year must be planned now.
Background
On Sunday, 25 October, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that three problems had come up in talks with the Americans in Oslo: a shortage of air defence, restrictions concerning Starlink/Starshield, and limits on sharing intelligence data.
Zelensky wrote about this on X:
According to glavnoe.in.ua, on Monday Russia launched 280 drones toward Ukraine.
What it means
Poland is one of the five recipients of the request. As of publication, neither the government in Warsaw nor the other capitals had publicly responded to the proposal. Transferring stocks would temporarily reduce the number of missiles in European arsenals until the contracts are fulfilled, which is the core of Ukraine’s exchange offer.
