Conflict · Patriot batteries idleKyiv's Patriot Launchers Sit Empty as Weekly Missile Strikes ContinueAired August 19, 2026 at 6:34 PM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00Patriot launchers built to stop Russian0:01ballistic missiles are sitting empty0:03outside Kyiv while the capital normally0:05absorbs a massive ballistic attack about0:07once a week. The battery shown on camera0:10on August 18th [music] sits in a0:11cornfield outside Kyiv, 16 tubes pointed0:14skyward with nothing to fire. [music]0:16Its chief engineer Dmytro said that0:18launcher had not fired in 2 and 1/20:20months, and it had been 6 weeks since he0:22had seen any launcher [music] fire at0:24all. Patriot is the only system Ukraine0:26has that can intercept those ballistic0:28missiles. So, crews now watch targets0:31fly overhead with no [music] interceptor0:32to shoot while the city braces for the0:34next weekly barrage. President Volodymyr0:36Zelenskyy says he begs allies every0:38morning for interceptors0:39>> [music]0:40>> and has asked to purchase 5 to 10% of0:42the American inventory to keep Kyiv0:43covered. The state of that inventory is0:45directly disputed. President Donald0:47[music] Trump says the United States has0:49massive amounts of munitions and there0:51is no shortage while analyst Evelyn0:53Farkas,0:54>> [music]0:54>> other analysts, and former Pentagon0:55officials say stockpiles are down after0:57heavy expenditure in Ukraine and the0:59Middle East. And the defense industrial1:01base is not replacing high-end weapons1:02fast enough [music] with analysts saying1:04it could take years to fully replenish.1:06Production underscores the gap. Lockheed1:08Martin produced about 620 interceptors1:10[music]1:11in 2025 with a target of 550 to 600 per1:15year rising to 750 by fiscal year 20271:17[music]1:18against coalition use of more than 2001:20per day in the opening days of the war1:22with Iran. Shortages were cited as a1:24factor in a decision not to make another1:26massive strike on Iran. Former NATO1:28official and Czech [music] President1:29Petr Pavel warned a weakened Europe and1:31United States could tempt President1:33Vladimir Putin to attempt a limited1:35military humiliation of NATO, [music]1:36for example, in the Baltics as Russian1:38drones probe NATO airspace leaving1:40unresolved when any resupply will reach1:42Kyiv and how the city defends the next1:44weekly strike with launchers idle.1:46Like and follow for more stories that1:48matter.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗