Ukraine Acknowledges Critical PAC-3 Shortage Leaving Kyiv Defenseless Against Russian Ballistic Missiles

Analysis
Kyiv's air defense has crossed from degraded to structurally absent against ballistic threats, converting the capital's protection into a diplomatic problem resolved only by allied stockpile decisions outside Ukrainian control. Zero intercepts against 23 Iskanders and six Zircons confirms PAC-3 depletion is complete, so any further barrage of this scale strikes Kyiv unopposed. Moderate confidence rests on convergent reporting across four outlets anchored by a primary Kyiv Independent account, though weapons counts trace to the same Ukrainian Air Force briefings. Where the July 2 barrage saw partial success against ballistic munitions, the July 6 zero-intercept result confirms the interceptor shortage flagged after June 28 has deepened rather than eased. Russia's shift toward ballistic-heavy salvos may reflect deliberate exploitation of a known interceptor gap timed to pressure Kyiv's allies, and the Ankara summit now stands as the immediate test of whether allied governments will draw down their own Patriot reserves.