Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Monday that Kyiv has been waiting for almost a month for US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to provide the necessary authorization for critical Patriot interceptor missiles. The delay, which also affects the supply of missiles for NASAMS air defense systems, comes as Ukraine continues to face relentless Russian missile attacks, jet-powered drone strikes, and the use of guided aerial bombs.
Addressing the ongoing supply challenges, Zelenskyy stated that his administration is actively coordinating across multiple channels, including the United States, Europe, and other international partners that maintain stocks of PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles. The Ukrainian president has instructed his team to raise the pending approval issue with Washington once again, emphasizing the urgent need to unblock these deliveries, which have already received approval from various European nations.
The pressure on Ukraine’s air defense capabilities remains acute. On Sunday alone, Zelenskyy reported that Russian forces launched 48 missiles, including ballistic weaponry, alongside approximately 1,600 guided aerial bombs and nearly 2,300 attack drones over the past week. These frequent strikes continue to result in deaths and injuries across the country, highlighting the critical role of the Patriot platform, which is widely considered one of the most advanced systems capable of intercepting both aircraft and ballistic threats.
Most of the Patriot missiles supplied to Ukraine are provided through the NATO-backed Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative, which assists allies and partners in purchasing US military equipment. According to NATO, allies had committed to funding over $6 billion in defense equipment via this scheme as of June 2026. However, global munitions inventories are under significant strain. A September report from the US Department of Defence’s inspector general revealed that American forces had utilized $22.3 billion in munitions between late February and the end of June during Operation Epic Fury.
Ukrainian military official Colonel Yurii Ihnat suggested in an interview on Monday that the volume of Patriot missiles deployed in the Middle East could have sustained years of combat operations for Ukraine. While the exact quantity of missiles awaiting Secretary Hegseth’s signature remains undisclosed, local Ukrainian media reports indicate the figure is significant.
Global munitions stocks have come under significant pressure in recent months amid the US' war in Iran.
