Patriot Missiles in Short Supply Worldwide, Ukraine Scrambles to Protect Cities

In Ukraine and Russia on 17 August 2026, both sides traded drone and missile strikes. Ukraine launched one of its largest aerial attacks on Russia, killing at least 6 civilians in Russia according to officials; with 2 killed in Ukraine, CGTN and France 24 gave a total of 19 dead across both countries. Ukraine also hit seven of the 10 biggest warehouses of the retailer Wildberries.

A Russian missile strike on Lakshmi Mittal's steel plant in Ukraine killed 2 and injured 13, according to ArcelorMittal and media reports, and Ukraine's largest steel plant partially halted production. A Ukrainian energy company said its facilities were seriously damaged after 13 Russian strikes in a week. Kyiv Post reported that Patriot missiles are in short supply worldwide and Ukraine is scrambling to protect its cities.