🐦-Exclusive to CNN Source: Ukraine's "Patriot" defensive missiles depleted

A source familiar with the situation told CNN on Thursday that Ukraine has exhausted its stockpile of the US-made "Patriot" air defense missile system, making it more vulnerable to Russian ballistic missile attacks.

For months, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly warned that Ukraine's stockpile of Patriot interceptor missiles has begun to run out, which is one of the few defensive weapons capable of shooting down ballistic missiles.

However, the interceptor missiles are expensive and face a significant global shortage, as other countries have depleted their stockpiles or sought to bolster their defensive systems in the context of the war with Iran.