The United States has approved the sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine. Kyiv needs the interceptors urgently as Russian air attacks intensify.
The State Department said the PAC-3 missiles will cost $2.1bn (£1.6bn). Ukraine’s European allies and Canada will fund the deal in full.
Who Is Paying
The department said Ukraine will pay with donations from Canada, Germany and Norway. These come through the JUMPSTART programme. Ukraine will also use national funds, financed by the European Union’s Ukraine Support Loan.
Lockheed Martin will be the principal contractor. The statement said no US funds are involved.
Kyiv Warns of Shortages
The approval follows complaints from Kyiv about delays. President Volodymyr Zelensky said this week that Ukraine had waited almost a month for Washington to sign off.
He has also admitted that Ukraine is critically low on Patriots. Russia is stepping up strikes on energy infrastructure ahead of winter. Zelensky says the Patriot is the only weapon that can effectively stop Russia’s ballistic missiles.
The decision comes days after a row between Zelensky and Donald Trump. The US president said it was time for Ukraine to get a new leader to help end the war.
On Friday, Zelensky said Russian ballistic missiles hit two Ukrainian regions. In a Telegram post, he accused Moscow of continuing “terrorist strikes” on Ukrainian cities.
No Quick Delivery Expected
Kyiv should not expect fast relief. The order is understood to cover new builds, not missiles already in stock. The production schedule is unclear.
Supply is also tight worldwide. The US has used large numbers of Patriots in its war against Iran. Production is slow, too. The US Department of Defence puts output at only 600 missiles a year.
Patriot production has also been a point of tension. In July, Trump said Washington had “not agreed” to license Ukraine to make the missiles itself. He had offered that right three weeks earlier.
