The United States has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 interceptor missiles worth an estimated $2.1 billion to Ukraine, in a major move to strengthen Kyiv’s air defence capabilities amid intensified Russian attacks.
The US State Department announced the approval on Friday, marking one of the most significant commitments to supply defensive weapons to Ukraine since President Donald Trump began his second administration.
The approval comes amid growing tensions between Washington and Kyiv over delays in military supplies, Trump’s reported diesel deal with Russia and his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy over Ukraine’s continued attacks on Russian oil refineries.
Ukraine has repeatedly appealed for additional missile interceptors to counter increasing Russian missile attacks, with the Patriot system regarded as one of the most effective defences against fast-moving ballistic missiles.
On Thursday, a Russian drone attack killed at least 14 people at a crowded railway platform in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro.
Five other people were killed in daytime attacks on two provincial cities, while a late-evening missile strike claimed another life in the capital, Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials.
Zelenskiy said on Monday that Ukraine had waited nearly a month for Washington to approve critical missile supplies as Russia intensified attacks on energy facilities and civilian infrastructure.
However, the newly approved missiles are unlikely to arrive soon, as weapons procurement and production typically take several years.
Two people familiar with the US decision told Reuters that the interceptors, which are yet to be manufactured, were not expected to be delivered until the early 2030s.
One of the sources said Ukraine’s Defence Ministry was urging the Pentagon to accelerate deliveries, possibly by supplying missiles from existing US stockpiles and replenishing them with newly manufactured interceptors.
The State Department said the purchase would be funded through contributions from Canada, Germany and Norway under the US JUMPSTART programme, alongside national funds financed through the European Union’s Ukraine Support Loan.
The programme enables US allies to finance weapons, services and military training to support Ukraine’s defence against Russia’s invasion.
In August, JUMPSTART was used to purchase 3,350 air-launched cruise missiles valued at $825 million from US defence companies Zone 5 Technologies and CoAspire.
Lockheed Martin is the principal contractor for the latest Patriot missile sale.
Meanwhile, concerns have grown over US stockpiles of air defence and precision-guided weapons as Washington continues supplying military equipment to its allies while deploying munitions in its own operations in Iran.
In July, the US Army awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth up to $58.6 billion to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles.
The company said the agreement would support its plan to triple PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement production capacity by the end of 2030.
It also plans to increase employment at its Camden, Arkansas, facility by 50 per cent, from 1,200 to approximately 1,850 workers.
Lockheed Martin had previously announced plans to raise annual production of Patriot PAC-3 interceptors to 2,000 units.
The Pentagon is also pressing defence contractors to accelerate production, with preliminary manufacturing agreements reached earlier this year forming part of efforts to increase missile supplies.
