Zelensky warns the 500 Patriot missiles Trump approved for Ukraine may not arrive for YEARS while Russian strikes pound its cities
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, who had warned this month that Ukraine had nearly run out of Patriot interceptors as Russia struck a Kyiv energy facility on 30 October, blacking out four city districts.Ukrainian emergency service firefighters tackle a blaze in Sumy region as Russia struck energy infrastructure across Ukraine, hitting a Kyiv facility on 30 October and a combined heat and power plant in Shostka the following morning.A fire engine tackles a blaze in the Poltava region as Russia continued attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure daily, striking a Kyiv facility on 30 October and a Shostka heat and power plant the following morning.Norway, Germany and Canada are funding the entire $2.1bn package of 500 Patriot PAC-3 MSE interceptor missiles, with Volodymyr Zelenskyy warning deliveries may not begin for years.
The $2.1 billion deal, approved by the US State Department on Friday, covers 500 PAC-3 interceptor missiles manufactured by Lockheed Martin — but weapons sales of this type typically take years to fulfil, with two people briefed on the decision saying delivery is not expected until the early 2030s. Zelensky praised the approval as a "strong decision" but immediately pressed Washington to release missiles already held in US and allied stockpiles, replenishing them later with this new batch.
No US funds are involved — Canada, Germany and Norway are footing the entire $2.1 billion bill via the JUMPSTART programme.
Zelensky had accused the Pentagon of holding up deliveries for nearly a month, saying Russia was striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure "every single day."
At least 14 people died when a Russian drone struck a crowded Dnipro railway platform just days before the deal was announced.
