Ukraine nearly runs out of missiles for Samp-T air defence systems – Corriere della Sera
www.pravda.com.ua
Sat, 15 Mar 2025 03:16:42 +0200
Ukraine has approached the Italian and French governments with an urgent request for additional Aster30 missiles for SampT air defence batteries, as the existing stockpile is nearly depleted.
Source Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera Details Corriere della Sera wrote that Ukrainian authorities had been requesting Italy and France for at least 50 Aster30 missiles for several weeks.
However, the Italian government is reluctant to make a decision, as its own stockpile is close to reaching the untouchable reserve level.
France has larger reserves, but it also faces certain limitations.
Ukraines Defence Minister Rustem Umierov met with his Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto in Rome on 14 March and held talks with the leadership of Eurosam, a joint venture of MBDA Italy, MBDA France and Thales, which manufactures Aster30 missiles.
The Wall Street Journal reported on 8 March that the capabilities of SampT missiles do not match those of American Patriot batteries.
In particular, the system is not always able to effectively identify Russian missiles during largescale attacks.
Quote Debates among military experts are ongoing, but the Ukrainians are now focused to replenish their missile stockpile as soon as possible.
At this stage, with the Russians intensifying their bombardments, any air defence system becomes precious.
Details The Italian government, led by Giorgia Meloni, has supplied Ukraine with two SampT batteries, leaving three for its own needs.
According to Corriere della Sera, Italys defence plan, presented in November 2024, includes the procurement of 10 more such systems, each costing around 500 million.
Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon
Latest news
more news