Zelenskyy hails US clearance for 500 Patriot interceptors as “strong decision”, urges immediate winter delivery against Russian strikes

KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has welcomed the US State Department’s decision authorising Kyiv’s procurement of Patriot interceptors to counter incoming Russian ballistic missiles, while pressing Washington for an accelerated delivery timeline to meet immediate winter security needs.

In a post on X, Zelenskyy described the clearance as a “strong decision”, noting that 500 PAC-3 interceptors constitute a substantial inventory that “could make for a highly effective defence package” during the winter season. However, he cautioned that current stipulations dictate that deliveries may begin “only in a few years”.

“We are asking our American partners to find a solution for the time when there is a real danger and a real need to use PAC-3 interceptors,” Zelenskyy stated, emphasising that Russian forces are targeting energy infrastructure daily.

He reported that over the preceding two weeks of October, Ukraine had endured more than 30 Russian strikes directed at critical elements of the power grid. Warning that President Vladimir Putin had initiated operations to incapacitate life-sustaining systems ahead of winter, Zelenskyy stressed that the primary targets encompassed electricity, heating, water supplies and bridges.

Highlighting operational requirements, Zelenskyy noted that Kyiv had requested a winter support package averaging 100 Patriot interceptors monthly, asserting that 500 missiles would secure airspace during the upcoming months, when maintaining a strong negotiating posture is paramount.

To bridge the immediate gap, Zelenskyy proposed that the US, European partners and global allies draw from existing warehouse stocks to supply Ukraine during the winter of 2026–2027, while backfilling partner arsenals subsequently through the newly contracted production.

Expressing appreciation to US President Donald Trump and acknowledging recent discussions with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Zelenskyy stated, “We are grateful to the US State Department and the US Administration overall for granting this authorisation. But we are asking for decisions that can guarantee the protection of lives, not the day after tomorrow or sometime later, but at the very moment the threat is there – when Russia is killing and destroying.”