Ukraine pursues domestic missiles and glide bombs amid Patriot delays

Ukraine faces a prolonged period of vulnerability to Russian ballistic missile strikes due to interceptor shortages and bureaucratic delays in licensing local production of U.S. Patriot air defense systems. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated that setting up domestic Patriot manufacturing could take between one and several years.

To mitigate supply constraints, Kyiv is accelerating indigenous defense initiatives. Two Ukrainian firms are currently developing long-range ballistic missiles to target Russian rear positions. Concurrently, the Ukrainian armed forces are procuring the domestically designed Equalizer guidance kit, created by DG Industry and government incubator Brave1. The module transforms standard unguided bombs into precision-guided munitions compatible with MiG-29, Su-24, and Su-27 aircraft, offering a lower-cost alternative to Western air-launched weaponry.

Sources: NEXTA, NV, Point, The Insider, Українська правда.