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Ryuu96 on 13 April 2024
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Ukraine could run out of critical air defense missiles and interceptors in as little as two to three weeks if Russia continues its high-intensity aerial bombardments, Estonia's Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said Friday following a recent visit to Kyiv.

If Russia keeps attacking at the rate he witnessed in Ukraine, Kyiv "will be out of the rockets and interceptors in about two to three weeks," Pevkur told reporters in Washington, D.C. "We are not talking about half a year," he said.

Ukraine Could Run Out of Air Defense Missiles in Two Weeks | Semafor

Russia launched another murderous barrage of drones and missiles in the early hours of 11 April, hitting two important gas storage facilities close to the Polish border and wiping out nearly all of Ukraine's coal-based electricity generating capacity.

The effect on the markets was immediate. European gas prices increased 10% compared to the previous day.

Europe benefits from Ukraine's gas storage, but the embattled country must defend them alone. Although Western countries have supplied air defense missiles to the government in Kyiv, ministers say it's not nearly enough given the current barrage.

Many of the targeted facilities are close to Ukraine's western border and could conceivably be protected by batteries based on NATO territory. Or air defense units could be deployed as part of a humanitarian mission. Despite French President Macron's suggestion of troop deployments in dire circumstances, no public discussion is underway.

The crisis is occurring regardless. Last month, another dawn attack hit a gas storage site, as well as other critical parts of the electricity infrastructure, plunging millions of Ukrainians into the cold and dark. The city of Kyiv's largest power station was completely wrecked.

Sound familiar? It isn't. The storage sites were previously spared. These newly targeted facilities are important to Ukraine and to the numerous European gas companies which use them. They form an important element of the continent's gas network.

As of 1 April, there were around 750 million cubic meters of gas held by European companies in Ukrainian storage, whose monetary value is over €200m ($213m) at current prices.

But their importance goes beyond that. They have also provided a safety valve to European companies in the last five years. Ukraine's storage facilities are bigger than those of any European Union (EU) country and amount to about 28% of EU needs.

Europe Slumbers at Ukraine’s Dying of the Lights - CEPA

Western Europe