Ukraine receives 12 Patriot missiles per month from US, Zelensky says

Ukraine has received an average of 12 Patriot interceptor missiles per month from the U.S. throughout 2026, President Volodymyr Zelensky told journalist on Oct. 27 at a closed-door press briefing.

Ukraine needs to intercept around 150 Russian ballistic missiles per month but receives about 150 Patriot missiles from the U.S. annually, according to Zelensky.

The president said some European countries have agreed to provide additional missiles from their stockpiles, but the transfers require approval from Washington. Zelensky pointed to documents awaiting action by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

"We want the Americans to start signing off on the supply of antiballistic missiles – interceptor missiles – to Ukraine from the countries we've reached agreements with. Because without Hegseth's signature, it's simply impossible," Zelensky said.

Zelsnky said on Oct. 26 that Kyiv has been waiting nearly a month for Hegseth to approve missiles for its Patriot and NASAMS air defense systems. Ukrainian officials have described the delays and disruptions as an example of political pressure from Washington that could put civilian lives at risk.

Ukraine obtains Patriot interceptors through several channels, including NATO's Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a mechanism through which Kyiv's allies fund weapons purchases from the United States.

The shortage also affects missiles for NASAMS air defense systems, which Ukraine receives through the PURL initiative.

Zelensky also said he had asked U.S. President Donald Trump for a special package of interceptor missiles ahead of winter during a meeting in New York on Sept. 22. Trump promised to make efforts to secure the missiles, Zelensky said, but noted that the U.S. also needed them for their own defense.

"These are the circumstances I live in today: every week, we have to put together new packages, find new missiles, and secure new air defenses. We need them every day to save the lives of our people from Russian ballistic missiles," Zelensky said.

According to Zelensky, Russia has launched over 100 ballistic missiles against Kyiv and the surrounding region since Oct. 14.

Ukraine has also recently experienced repeated disruptions to its early-warning systems for incoming Russian ballistic missiles, which rely on U.S. intelligence. American officials have attributed the outages, which have occurred several times in the past, to "bad weather conditions."

Zelensky added that the war in the Middle East has reduced military and financial support for Ukraine, making it more difficult for Kyiv to secure the air defense supplies needed to counter Russian ballistic missile attacks.

"The war in the Middle East is having a negative impact on the whole world. The energy challenges around the world are caused exclusively by the Strait of Hormuz. All the other challenges are also affecting Ukraine. The military and financial support Ukraine receives has definitely declined because of the war in the Middle East," he said.