Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said officials sought more PAC-3 interceptors from Lockheed Martin in talks announced Oct. 21, as Kyiv seeks stronger protection against Russian ballistic missiles.
Defense Minister Evgeniy Khmara and Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi met a delegation led by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics President Orlando Sanchez Jr. The ministry said they also discussed steadier weapons deliveries and wider F-16 maintenance capacity, including possible localization of maintenance. It announced no new interceptor quantity or delivery schedule.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had asked European partners on Oct. 16 for a winter package of 300 Patriot interceptors to counter ballistic missiles. The request was not a delivery commitment.
Zelenskyy met Lockheed Martin representatives on Oct. 19 and proposed joint production of Patriot interceptors. He also expressed interest in licenses to manufacture them in Ukraine. His office announced no production or licensing agreement.
The Defense Ministry said Ukraine uses PAC-3 missiles in Patriot systems and, separately, F-16 aircraft against Russian air threats. It described the aircraft as a means of countering jet-powered drones and the interceptors as a priority against ballistic missiles.
Separately, Kyiv’s health department reported that a Russian attack on Oct. 21 killed two people and injured two others in the capital’s Sviatoshynskyi district. Its account did not identify the weapon used.
Lockheed Martin said it delivered 620 PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement interceptors in 2025. Under a seven-year agreement with the U.S. government, it aims to increase annual production capacity from about 600 to 2,000. The company specified no allocation for Ukraine.
Lockheed Martin has said longer-term demand commitments support investment in higher output. In July, it announced a $58.62 billion U.S. multiyear production contract and said it aims to triple capacity by the end of 2030.
