Zelensky warns that the 500 Patriot missiles approved by Trump may not reach Ukraine for YEARS while Russia pounds its grid
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 Patriot interceptor missiles to be manufactured by Lockheed Martin, with Canada, Germany and Norway footing the entire bill through the JUMPSTART programme. Zelensky praised the decision as a 'strong decision' but posted on X that 'deliveries may begin ONLY IN A FEW YEARS', urging allies to release stockpiled missiles now and replenish them later with this purchase. Ukraine's ministry of defence is pressing the Pentagon to bring forward delivery by drawing on existing US stocks first.
Russia struck Kyiv's energy grid on the evening of October 30, knocking out power across four districts and dropping water pressure across the capital.
Zelensky accused the Pentagon of holding up the sale for nearly a month, saying Hegseth had delayed signing off on Patriots and NASAMS already bought by other nations for Ukraine.
Ukraine hit back overnight, launching kamikaze drones from weather balloons at Sheremetyevo airport, grounding nearly 1,000 Russian flights and stranding thousands of passengers.
