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US Sends Ukraine Just 12 Patriot Missiles a Month, Holds Back Paid-For Supplies, Zelenskyy Says
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
The United States is supplying Ukraine with only 12 Patriot air defense interceptor missiles per month—roughly four times fewer than under former President Joe Biden—while withholding approval for additional weapons Kyiv has already paid for, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
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According to Bloomberg on October 18, Zelenskyy accused Washington of delaying critical air defense supplies and using restrictions on military assistance to pressure Ukraine into accepting unfavorable terms to end Russia’s war.
“We have paid for the weapons,” Zelenskyy said, referring to purchases that include anti-ballistic missile interceptors under the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative. “A part of the supplies has been authorized” by the US side, “while the rest haven’t been. And this is not a technical issue.”
The Ukrainian president said the current delivery rate represents approximately one-quarter of the number of Patriot interceptors supplied during the Biden administration. Unlike previous US military assistance, which provided interceptors to Ukraine without charge, the Trump administration is selling the missiles to Kyiv.
The restrictions come as Ukraine faces continued Russian ballistic missile attacks targeting cities and critical infrastructure, increasing demand for interceptor missiles capable of countering such threats.
Zelenskyy also proposed suspending Ukrainian strikes against Russian diesel fuel production facilities in exchange for additional Patriot interceptors.
“My latest model was: We don’t target Russian diesel, you give us missiles for Patriot systems to protect our facilities. But they just want us to stop attacking diesel. And if we strike that, they will disconnect us from something,” Zelenskyy told Bloomberg.
The proposal follows US demands that Ukraine halt attacks on Russian oil refineries, which the Trump administration has linked to rising global diesel prices. However, Zelenskyy suggested that Washington’s actions extended beyond disagreements over energy infrastructure.
“I believe steps have been taken to convince Ukraine to capitulate,” he said. “I am not saying that this is the goal our partners are pursuing. I don’t want to think that our American partners believe the war could be ended sooner at Ukraine’s expense. But that’s how it looks.”
According to Bloomberg, the restrictions on Patriot deliveries have coincided with disruptions to Ukraine’s Starlink satellite communications and the absence of advance US warning ahead of a Russian ballistic missile strike on Kyiv on October 18.
Despite the current disagreements, Zelenskyy expressed hope that relations with Washington could improve following the November 3 US midterm elections. “Politics is very aggressive during election time,” Zelenskyy told Bloomberg. “I think it is agony now, but after elections, life will continue and I believe it will be calmer.”
Earlier, on October 16, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine was facing a severe shortage of PAC-2 and PAC-3 interceptor missiles, noting that most available supplies had been redirected to the Middle East.
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-fd827d4182afa4dd7c505b26cac2315b.jpg "A shopping mall damaged during Russia’s missile and drone attack on Kyiv on October 19, 2026. (Source: hromadske)")
