Ukraine consumes 35 Patriot missiles in a month while waiting for US approval on 23 more
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy detailed the gap between high interceptor usage and slow administrative sign-off in New York.
By Alina Carter ·
Ukraine consumes Patriot interceptor missiles at a rate of 35 per month, yet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the country only receives an average of 12 from the United States in 2026. The disparity creates a critical gap in air defense capabilities as Russian ballistic missile attacks continue.
Zelenskyy addressed the issue in comments to the press reported by Ukrinform. He stated that while European partners have funded many weapons purchases, the arrival and approval process for US-supplied interceptors remains a primary challenge. The president emphasized that he works daily to secure these specific assets.
The current bottleneck involves administrative approval. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has signed off on a package of 12 missiles. However, approval is pending for an additional 23 missiles that Ukraine has sourced from other countries. Zelenskyy noted that he has sought new aid packages every week to maintain protection levels.
"The US has a package of 12 missiles, and he's signed off on it. That's great. But we've used 35 just this month. The issue now is getting approval for another 23 that I've secured from other sources," Zelenskyy said.
During a meeting in New York, Zelenskyy asked President Donald Trump to approve a winter package of missiles. The Ukrainian leader specified the required quantity and proposed a condition: if the request were approved, Ukraine would refrain from striking oil refineries. When Trump asked where the missiles could be obtained, Zelenskyy named the specific countries holding stockpiles.
Trump replied that the United States would do everything it could to assist but noted that the US also needed the missiles for its own defense and had limited supplies. On October 26, Zelenskyy announced that Kyiv had waited nearly a month for Hegseth to sign off on missiles for both Patriot and NASAMS systems. The president has since instructed his team to reopen discussions with the US side.
The average monthly intake of 12 missiles contrasts sharply with the monthly consumption of 35. Zelenskyy described the ongoing effort to balance high usage rates with the pace of diplomatic and administrative approvals from Washington and other partners.
