Ukraine Exposes 30-Day Gap in US Patriot Missile Deliveries

Russian forces intensified attacks on Ukrainian energy and civilian infrastructure on Monday, a period when Kyiv is still waiting for Washington to finalize critical air defense orders.

President Volodymyr Zelensky posted on X that Ukraine has waited nearly a month for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to sign off on missiles for Patriot and NASAMS systems.

Zelensky stated, "In particular, we have been waiting for nearly a month for Mr Hegseth to sign off on missiles for Patriots and NASAMS. I instructed our team to raise this with the American side once again."

The delay affects weapons purchased by NATO allies under the Presidential Urgent Requisition List program. Zelensky has previously urged the United States to accelerate these deliveries before the winter season begins.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the issue last week, acknowledging that a specific batch of interceptors might not have reached Ukraine yet. He clarified that the delay was not driven by political motivations.

The pending sign-off arrives as tensions rise between Washington and Kyiv. President Donald Trump recently announced a diesel deal with Russia and criticized Ukraine for continuing to strike Russian refineries.

Operational challenges have also emerged in recent weeks. Ukraine reported gaps in US intelligence sharing regarding Russian missile trajectories. The country also noted that the military version of Starlink has been throttled for days, disrupting air defense operations.

Reuters reported that the order to limit Starshield capabilities originated inside the White House. Both SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and US officials have publicly stated that only the other party could have made those specific decisions.