Patriot Shortage: Ukraine Uses 35 Missiles, Receives 12
President Zelenskyy states that monthly deliveries from the US are far below the rate of consumption during Russian ballistic strikes.
By Sofia Ramirez ·
Ukrainian air defense units are currently expending interceptor missiles at a rate nearly three times higher than their monthly supply. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that the country has used 35 Patriot missiles in October alone, a figure that starkly contrasts with the average monthly delivery of 12 units received from the United States this year.
Zelenskyy described the current supply chain as a challenge in a comment to the press, noting that while Europe has funded and delivered other weapons systems without issue, the Patriot interceptors remain a bottleneck. He stated that he works daily to secure these specific munitions, requiring new aid packages every week to maintain protection against Russian ballistic missile attacks.
The US Defense Department has already approved one component of the next shipment. Zelenskyy confirmed that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has signed off on a package of 12 missiles. However, a larger tranche of 23 additional missiles, which Ukraine has sourced from other countries, is still awaiting American approval.
"The US has a package of 12 missiles, and he's signed off on it. That's great. But we've used 35 just this month. The issue now is getting approval for another 23 that I've secured from other sources," Zelenskyy said.
The delay in approvals has prompted direct diplomatic engagement. Zelenskyy told reporters that he raised the issue with President Donald Trump during a meeting in New York. He requested a specific "winter package" of missiles and provided a detailed list of how many units Ukraine needed. Zelenskyy said he told Trump that if this request were approved, Ukraine would refrain from striking oil refineries.
When Trump inquired about the origin of the missiles, Zelenskyy named the specific countries holding the stockpiles. Trump replied that the US would do everything possible to assist but noted that American forces also required the missiles and had limited domestic supplies.
On October 26, Zelenskyy publicly announced that Kyiv had been waiting nearly a month for Hegseth to sign off on missiles for both Patriot and NASAMS air defense systems. He instructed his team to reopen discussions with the US side to expedite the process.
