Zelensky: Ukraine has waited nearly a month for Hegseth to sign off on Patriot missiles

What the president said

On 26 October Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting on weapons supplies from partners and on restoring the energy system after Russian strikes. Afterwards he wrote on Facebook that the defence minister, the commander-in-chief and the foreign minister had reported on deliveries of air defence interceptors, first of all for Patriot.

“We are working on several tracks – with the United States, Europe and other partners that have stocks of PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles. 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,” Ukrinform quoted the president as saying.

Zelensky said Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi reported on work in the regions, and thanked repair crews and energy companies: work continues virtually nonstop, using the equipment reserves Ukraine has built up. The meeting also discussed preparations for the November Ramstein meeting; the president said it was important to speed up decisions that have been on the table for some time.

Earlier, in an interview with TSN Tyzhden, Zelensky said there was progress on Patriot missiles but the process was moving very slowly.

How Patriot tactics have changed

The same day Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat told the RBC-Ukraine podcast that during the full-scale war Ukrainian troops had learned to use the American systems in various tactical situations and to spend the expensive interceptors more efficiently.

One example is using Patriot not only from fixed positions, as the US does at airfields and bases, but also for ambushes followed by relocation. “You can make it, so to speak, ‘mobile’: set up an ambush, shoot down five aircraft and return unscathed,” Ihnat said.

Another difference is ammunition use. According to Ihnat, Ukrainian crews learned to use one missile per target, while in the Middle East up to eight interceptors were sometimes launched at once. Patriot has automatic, semi-automatic and manual modes; in automatic mode, without combat experience, a whole launcher’s salvo could be fired at a single Shahed or ballistic missile.

Why there is a shortage

Ihnat estimated that the missiles spent in the Middle East would have been enough for Ukraine to operate Patriot for several years. “That is why we now find ourselves in the crisis we are in,” he concluded.

Why it matters

PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles are the main defence against the ballistic missiles Russia regularly fires at Kyiv and energy facilities. Delays in approving US deliveries directly affect how many strikes can be intercepted this winter. That is why Kyiv is also seeking missiles in Europe and from other countries with stocks, and wants faster decisions at the next Ramstein meeting.