Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was receiving an average of 12 U.S.-supplied Patriot missiles a month in 2026, far short of the 150 ballistic missiles he said it needed to intercept each month.
Interfax-Ukraine and Ukrinform both attributed the monthly average to Zelensky’s remarks at a closed-door briefing with journalists on Oct. 27. Interfax-Ukraine separately reported that he said Ukraine could count on 150 U.S. missiles a year while needing to shoot down about 150 ballistic missiles each month.
Zelensky linked the limited U.S. supply to the war in the Middle East, Interfax-Ukraine reported. That was his explanation for the constrained deliveries.
Ukrinform reported that Ukraine had used 35 Patriot missiles in October, according to Zelensky. The outlet also said he reported that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had approved a package of 12 missiles, while 23 more Patriot missiles sourced from other countries still required U.S. approval.
A day before the briefing, Zelensky said missiles for Patriot and NASAMS air-defense systems had been awaiting Hegseth’s authorization for nearly a month. EconoTimes previously covered the approval delay.
NATO’s Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), launched in July 2025, lets NATO members and partners finance U.S.-sourced defense equipment for Ukraine, with NATO coordinating delivery. The NATO description covers U.S.-origin equipment; Ukrinform separately reported the approval status of missiles sourced from other countries.
Interfax-Ukraine reported that officials discussed preparations for a November meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. Its report did not identify a missile decision scheduled for the meeting.
