Russia Is Big Winner as Iran War Drains Supplies That Ukraine Needs

The Wall Street Journal ^ | March 4, 2026 | Bojan Pancevski

[Trump20162020]

Russia is one of the biggest winners in the early days of the largest U.S. military confrontation in decades, as Iranian missiles deplete stocks of Patriot interceptors that Ukraine needs for its defense.

Even before the Iran campaign, production bottlenecks in the U.S.-made Patriot system had drained Ukraine’s reserves and left European allies on yearslong waiting lists. Those shortfalls have allowed Russia to punch through gaps in Ukraine’s air defenses, devastating its power infrastructure and casting Ukrainian cities into blackouts.

[Lurker]

Eff Ukraine and Russia.

L

[griffin]

Russia is a weiner by losing an ally and supplier?

[Paladin2]

To the extent that the production of “munitions” built by Iran and used by the Rooskies in Ukraine are snuffed, Russia will be more limited.

[plain talk]

[clearcarbon]

"Iranian missiles deplete stocks of Patriot interceptors that Ukraine needs for its defense."

Perhaps need for the interceptors in the Mideast will diminish significantly in the very near future.

[ansel12]

It is both, there is a lot of bad news for Russia to lose an ally, but also some good news as mentioned in the title, it is the same for Ukraine, some good news, yet some bad news.

[Nervous Tick]

>> Eff Uk & Ru

and the drones they flew in on! Say, do you think ol’ “Bojan Pancevski” might have a wee bit of hidden agenda bias in his article?

[TonyM]

That is just stupid!

[MacNaughton]

... and now a few thoughts from a former Freeper.

3/04/2026: Bracken Sends: Straight Talk On Missile Reserves & Replacements, by Matthew Bracken

[jimpick]

So, I am supposed to care more about Ukrainians than Americans? A big nuke in one of the USA cities is a more important issue to me than a war between Russia and Ukraine.

[Doc91678]

Time for NATO to contribute armaments’ to the Ukraine while the U.S. is busy in Iran...

[antceecee]

Wall Street Journal editors have extreme TDS. I take anything they posit as a freakin’ lie on steroids!

[Paladin2]

The Rooskies are a yuge weiner....

[Steely Tom]

I thought that most of the drones Russia is using were made in Iran. Not to mention that Iran's very expensive Russian integrated air defense system was utterly useless against the US Air Force, and was quickly obliterated.

That's going to do wonders for Russia's defense industry's international sales.

[hinckley buzzard]

Yes Iran is a chief supplier of drones and missiles to Russia. Or should say, ‘was.’ In addition, the ‘drain’ on US supplies is a temporary situation; and in fact Ukraine seems to be holding its own very well lately, so this ‘reporter’s’ feverish imagination is probably misdirected. But hey, we have to conjure up some kind of downside, don’t we?

[HIDEK6]

That’s a stretch.

[ransomnote]

A few years ago I read an analysis stating that it would take Ukraine several years to erect a sufficient air defense. They had massive gaps to begin with - bald spots and ‘free-for-all’ zones. It’s pointless to pin this on current events, but they will defend St. Zelensky’s pan handling rights.

[Celtic Conservative]

It’s a logistics loss for Russia as they were buying munitions and drones from Iran.

CC

[NoLibZone]

Democrats running defense for Putin.
Again.