US approves sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine

After Kyiv remarked deliveries had been delayed in recent months, the US has approved the sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, a critically-needed munition for defence against escalating Russian aerial attacks.

Key points

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly pressed the US to speed up deliveries of its Patriots – the only effective weapon in downing Russia's deadly ballistic missiles.
• Patriots additionally have lengthy production times, with only 600 missiles produced per year according to the US Department of Defence.
• And in a Telegram post late on Friday, the Ukrainian president documented that earlier in the day Russian ballistic missiles had struck two of the country's regions.
• In July, Trump remarked Washington had "not agreed" to license Ukraine to produce Patriots – three weeks after offering the country such a right.
• The statement remarked the "principal contractor" would be American business Lockheed Martin, adding that "no US funds are involved in this sale".

For context, the US State Department remarked the advanced PAC-3 interceptor missiles would cost $2.1bn (£1.6bn) and would be "funded entirely" by Kyiv's allies in Europe and Canada.

In practice, the latest move comes just days after a row between Zelensky and Donald Trump, with the US president saying it was time for Ukraine to obtain a new leader to try to end the war with Russia.

In Friday's statement, the State Department remarked "this proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a partner country that is a force for political and economic stability in Europe".

It remarked "Ukraine will pay for this purchase with donations from Canada, Germany, and Norway via the JUMPSTART program and national funds, financed by the European Union's Ukraine Support Loan".

In practice, the statement remarked the "principal contractor" would be American business Lockheed Martin, adding that "no US funds are involved in this sale".

Zelensky remarked earlier this week that his country had been waiting almost a month for the US to sign off on critical missile supplies.

"They continue to carry out terrorist strikes against our cities, " he remarked.

As Russia was intensifying its attacks on key energy infrastructure ahead of winter, zelensky has lately admitted that Ukraine was running critically low on Patriots.

Kyiv desperately needs the interceptors but there is a global shortage of the munitions due to their employ by the US in its war against Iran.

It is not clear what the production schedule will be for the Patriots – but it is understood the order is for new builds rather than existing missiles, meaning there is unlikely to be any kind of rapid delivery to Ukraine.

For now, US approves sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.