Ukraine is racing desperately to counter Russia’s ballistic missiles
Ukraine’s air-defence challenge has intensified as Russia combines large waves of fast jet-powered drones with ballistic missiles. Patriot PAC-3 stocks are nearly exhausted, while Russia is producing roughly 100 of its most lethal missiles per month and Ukraine intercepted only one of 57 ballistic missiles launched in the first eight days of August. European SAMP/T deliveries and licensed PAC-2 production may add capacity, but their timing and performance do not offer immediate relief. A Ukrainian-led European project called Freyja aims to develop a cheaper, higher-volume interceptor, though it is unproven and analysts see meaningful capability no earlier than 2028. In the meantime Ukraine is hardening infrastructure, pursuing “left-of-launch” strikes and developing its own missiles, while the article says the underlying production economics favour offensive missiles.
Why it matters
Freyja is a concrete example of wartime demand catalysing a cross-border industrial network: a Ukrainian lead developer paired with 12 European defence firms and NATO-standard systems. Its proposed $700,000 unit cost highlights how procurement economics and production scale can shape defence-tech markets as much as technical performance. Dealroom can use this lens to track Ukraine’s defence-tech ecosystem, European co-development and the movement from drone innovation toward integrated air-defence platforms.
