Ukraine has only one way to protect itself against Russia’s most powerful ballistic missiles – US-made Patriot defense systems. With the United States now pausing military shipments to Kyiv, they could soon run out of ammo.

The directive, which takes effect immediately, affects more than $1 billion in arms and ammunition in the pipelines and on order.

Washington's suspension of military assistance will not lead to a sudden collapse of Ukraine's defensive lines, but it could have a real impact on the war within months, undermining air defences and precision strike capabilities in particular.