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Highly sensitive intelligence documents leaked from the Pentagon show Ukraine’s air defense forces will be fully exhausted by May 23 without further reinforcement, which would give the Russian military a leg up in the 13-month-old war.
Missile stocks for Ukrainian Buk and S-300 surface-to-air defense systems — armaments that account for 89% of the country’s protection against Russia’s fighter and bomber aircraft — will be depleted by mid-April and May 3, respectively, according to one of the leaked documents reported by the New York Times.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s air defenses that guard frontline forces will “be completely reduced” by May 23 unless reinforced, according to one paper dated Feb. 28.
Ukrainian Air Force Command spokesman Yurii Ihnat confirmed to the Times that Kyiv would “need many systems” of air defense to “fully replace” its depleted supply.
The Pentagon announced last week it would bolster Ukraine’s air defense capabilities with a $2.
