Zelensky says Patriot missile supply to Ukraine is progressing too slowly
President Volodymyr Zelensky said there is progress in supplying Ukraine with Patriot missiles, but the process is very slow and requires written U.S. confirmation before contributing countries can provide them. He said Ukraine receives about 12 Patriot missiles per month, while recent Russian attacks highlighted depleted interceptor stocks.
Key points
- Zelensky said progress is being made on supplying Ukraine with Patriot missiles, but the process is very slow.
- Countries able to provide Patriot missiles to Ukraine need written confirmation from the United States, including a signature.
- The Pentagon has delayed some types of critically needed supplies to Ukraine, Zelensky said.
- Ukraine received 24 Patriot interceptor missiles from the United States over the past three months.
- Ukraine currently receives about 12 Patriot missiles per month, roughly one-quarter of the rate under the Biden administration.
- Russia launched 21 ballistic missiles at the capital overnight on October 22, and none were intercepted.
- Almost all ballistic missiles were not intercepted during the October 14 attack because of a shortage of interceptors.
Why it matters
The pace of Patriot deliveries directly affects Ukraine's ability to intercept Russian ballistic missiles. The written-confirmation requirement adds a procedural condition for potential transfers by contributing countries. Zelensky also linked the supply of Patriot missiles to a possible halt of strikes on Russian oil refineries, treating missile deliveries as one of three conditions for ending those attacks.
What happened
Zelensky said efforts to supply Ukraine with Patriot missiles were moving forward, but extremely slowly — more slowly than the flight time of Russian missiles. According to him, countries willing to provide the missiles need written confirmation from the United States, while the U.S. Department of Defense has postponed some categories of critically needed supplies to Ukraine. He noted that Ukraine had received 24 Patriot interceptors from the United States over the previous three months and currently receives about 12 Patriot missiles per month, roughly a quarter of the rate under the Biden administration. The shortage was highlighted by the October 22 nighttime attack, during which Russia launched 21 ballistic missiles at the capital and none were intercepted, and by the October 14 attack, when almost all ballistic missiles went un-intercepted because of a lack of interceptors. Zelensky identified the provision of Patriot missiles as one of three conditions for ending strikes on Russian oil refineries.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting focuses on Zelensky's criticism of the slow delivery process and the requirement for written U.S. confirmation. The supply problems are presented against the backdrop of recent ballistic missile attacks and the depletion of interceptor stocks, while Patriot deliveries are connected to the conditions for ending strikes on Russian oil refineries.
Background
Ukraine received 24 Patriot interceptor missiles from the United States over the past three months. Ukrainian authorities said the available interceptor stocks had been exhausted before additional deliveries arrived. In a nighttime attack on October 22, Russia launched 21 ballistic missiles at the capital, none of which were intercepted.