Zelensky says US delays Patriot missile deliveries for a month
Ukraine has waited nearly a month for US defence secretary Pete Hegseth to approve already-paid-for Patriot and NASAMS interceptor missiles, President Zelensky said.
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Ukraine has waited nearly a month for US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to sign off on the delivery of interceptor missiles for its and NASAMS systems, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday.
The missiles have already been paid for by Ukraine's allies but their delivery has been delayed, Zelensky said in a post on X, at a time when Ukraine depends on the systems to intercept Russian attacks, particularly that are difficult to shoot down by other means. "We have been waiting for nearly a month for Mr Hegseth to sign off on missiles for Patriots and NASAMS. I have instructed our team to raise this with the American side again," Zelensky wrote.
Ukraine receives Patriot interceptor missiles through several channels, including the Priority Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a mechanism through which Kyiv's allies fund the purchase of weapons from the United States, a senior Ukrainian military official told the Kyiv Independent. The official said the batch awaiting Hegseth's approval was "significant".
Zelensky has previously said the United States is delivering only 12 Patriot interceptor missiles a month to Ukraine. Ukrainian officials have described the delays and related disruptions as a new example of political pressure from Washington that could endanger civilian lives, according to Digi24.
Ukraine has also faced repeated interruptions to its early-warning systems for Russian ballistic missile launches, which rely on information from US intelligence services; American officials have attributed these disruptions to poor weather conditions. Kyiv has separately reported problems with Starshield, the military-grade version of the Starlink satellite service, which has affected its drone operations, including the use of against Russian attack drones; that connectivity was restored over the weekend, according to Mediafax.
Zelensky's comments came during a coordination call on arms supplies and energy-infrastructure repairs following Russian strikes, in which Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi reported on restoration work under way in Ukraine's regions. Zelensky also said preparations were under way for a Ramstein-format meeting of Ukraine's allies in November, and called for faster implementation of previously agreed support packages.
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What we know
- Official · President Zelensky Zelensky said Ukraine has waited nearly a month for US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to approve Patriot and NASAMS interceptor missiles already paid for by allies.
- Official · Senior Ukrainian official (Kyiv Independent) Ukraine receives Patriot interceptors partly through the PURL mechanism, funded by allies; a senior Ukrainian official called the delayed batch "significant".
- Official · President Zelensky Zelensky has said the US delivers only 12 Patriot interceptors a month to Ukraine.
- 2+ outlets · Digi24, Mediafax Ukraine has also faced disruptions to US-supplied early-warning data on Russian missile launches and to its military Starshield satellite connectivity, which was restored over the weekend.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
Patriot interceptors are central to Ukraine's defence against Russian ballistic missiles, which are far harder to shoot down than other weapons, so delays in approving already-funded deliveries directly affect how much protection Ukrainian cities have heading into winter, when Russia has intensified strikes on energy infrastructure in previous years.
Sources
Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 1 countries.
- Digi24: Rachetele Patriot și NASAMS pentru Ucraina așteaptă de aproape o lună aprobarea lui Pete Hegseth, susține Zelenski
- Mediafax: Zelenski: Rachetele de apărare pentru Ucraina așteaptă de o lună aprobarea lui Hegseth pentru livrare
- HotNews: Zelenski spune că Ucraina așteaptă „de aproape o lună” acordul administrației Trump pentru a-i fi livrate rachete Patriot
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What is Zelensky complaining about?
- He said Ukraine has waited nearly a month for US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to approve delivery of already-funded Patriot and NASAMS interceptor missiles.
- How does Ukraine pay for these missiles?
- Partly through the PURL mechanism, under which Ukraine's allies fund purchases of US weapons on Kyiv's behalf.
- Has Ukraine faced other US-related supply problems?
- Yes, it has reported interruptions to US-supplied early-warning data on Russian missile launches and to its military Starlink/Starshield connectivity, since restored.
This article was written with AI assistance from 3 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.