WorldPosted at: Oct 31 2026 10:33PM


Zelensky welcomes sale of US Patriot missiles though warns delivery could take years

Kyiv, Oct 31 (UNI) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has welcomed Washington’s approval of a $2.1bn (£1.6bn) sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 interceptor missiles to Kyiv, but warned that deliveries could take several years despite his country's urgent need to strengthen its air defences ahead of winter.
The US State Department announced on Friday that it had approved the package as Ukraine continues to face intensifying Russian missile and drone attacks against its infrastructure.
“Five hundred PAC-3 interceptors is a substantial number, and very soon – this winter – they COULD make for a highly effective defence package,” Zelensky wrote on social media.
“However, it has been stipulated that deliveries may begin ONLY IN A FEW YEARS,” he added, urging Washington to find a way to provide the missiles when Ukraine needs them most.
The proposed sale will be funded entirely by Ukraine’s partners, including Canada, Germany and Norway through the JUMPSTART programme, as well as European union financing under its Ukraine Support Loan.
The State Department said no US funds would be involved, identifying American defence manufacturer Lockheed Martin as the principal contractor.
Zelensky said Ukraine and its partners should receive missiles from existing American and allied stockpiles during the winter of 2026-27, with those stocks replenished through the newly contracted production in subsequent years.
“The United States, our European partners, and other partners around the world have sufficient stocks of PAC-3 interceptors in their warehouses,” he said.
Earlier this week, Zelensky said Kyiv had been waiting nearly a month for US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to approve supplies for both Patriot and NASAMS air defence systems.
Ukraine's need for additional interceptors has become increasingly urgent as Russia steps up attacks on its energy infrastructure ahead of winter.
Zelensky said more than 30 Russian strikes had targeted critical parts of the country's electricity network over the previous two weeks.
Following Russian attacks on Friday night, around 200,000 households in the Dnipro region and at least 80,000 in the Kyiv region were left without electricity. Zelensky accused Moscow of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure.
Dwindling stocks of interceptors have raised concerns that Russia could intensify its missile campaign during the winter, potentially leaving Ukrainian cities and energy facilities particularly vulnerable.
The global shortage of Patriot missiles has also been exacerbated by their use by the US in its war against Iran.
The Patriot is among the most advanced air defence systems available and can intercept a range of threats, including aircraft and ballistic missiles.
Ukraine receives much of its supply through NATO’s Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a mechanism through which allies and partners finance the purchase of American military equipment and ammunition.
By June 2026, countries had pledged more than $6bn in defence equipment for Ukraine through the initiative, according to NATO.
However, the latest US approval does not guarantee an early supply.
The order is understood to concern newly manufactured missiles rather than existing stockpiles, while production capacity remains limited. According to the US Department of Defence, approximately 600 Patriot missiles are manufactured annually.
The announcement comes amid recent tensions between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump.
Earlier this month, Washington eased sanctions on Russia as part of an arrangement to secure Russian diesel supplies, prompting Trump to say Ukraine needed a new leader capable of negotiating an end to the war.
Relations subsequently eased following talks between Zelensky and US envoys in Oslo on October 20.
In July, Trump had also said Washington had not agreed to license Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missiles, three weeks after suggesting that it might allow the country to do so.
The missile approval was announced as European diplomats at the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta protested against the presence of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov by refusing to stand for an official group photograph.
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband directly challenged Lavrov at the gathering, hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“Let me say this directly to the Russian Foreign Minister: We all know who the aggressor in this war is,” Miliband said, accusing Moscow of killing innocent civilians in Ukraine.
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