Zelensky: Ukraine received 24 Patriot interceptors in 90 days but needs 350 per month
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine received 24 Patriot interceptor missiles from the United States over the past 90 days. He estimated that the country needs an average of 350 such missiles per month to counter Russian ballistic attacks, while reporting delays in U.S. Defense Department approval of supplies.
أبرز النقاط
- Ukraine received 24 Patriot interceptor missiles from the United States over 90 days.
- Ukraine needs an average of 350 Patriot interceptors per month, according to Zelensky.
- Ukraine currently receives about 12 Patriot missiles per month, roughly one-quarter of the pace under the Biden administration.
- Zelensky said air defenses failed to intercept any of the 21 ballistic missiles launched at Kyiv on October 22.
- He reported delays at the U.S. Defense Department in approving supplies needed by Ukraine.
- Ukrainian officials previously said U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was refusing to approve ally-funded Patriot interceptor deliveries.
لماذا يهمّ ذلك
A shortage of Patriot interceptors directly limits Ukraine’s ability to counter Russian ballistic missiles. Zelensky said reduced U.S. deliveries could lead Russia to intensify such attacks, while delays in approvals at the U.S. Defense Department are adding to the pressure on Ukrainian air defenses.
ماذا حدث
Zelensky said Ukraine had received 24 Patriot interceptors from the United States during the previous 90 days, equivalent to about 12 per month. He said Ukraine needs an average of 350 per month to defend against Russian ballistic attacks, and that the current supply rate is roughly four times lower than under the Biden administration.
He also reported that Ukraine’s air defenses failed to intercept any of the 21 ballistic missiles launched at Kyiv on October 22 and said the country was facing delays at the U.S. Defense Department in obtaining necessary supplies. Zelensky said Washington was not signing off on interceptor deliveries largely funded by Europe. He nevertheless said he did not feel betrayed by the United States, while expressing regret over the lack of American assistance and concern about its reduction.
كيف تصفه المصادر الأوكرانية
Ukrainian coverage centers on the acute shortage of Patriot interceptors, delays in the U.S. Defense Department and the consequences for protection against Russian ballistic missiles. Zelensky’s figures of 24 missiles received in 90 days and 350 needed per month underscore the gap, while reports of an unsuccessful defense against the October 22 missile attack and the prospect of intensified Russian strikes dominate the discussion.
الخلفية
CNN reported on October 15 that Ukraine had exhausted its Patriot interceptor stocks and that almost all ballistic missiles launched during the October 14 attack went uncaught because of a shortage. Ukraine was also struck by 30 ballistic missiles in Kyiv on the night of October 30. Zelensky contrasted Ukraine’s supply of 24 missiles over 90 days with the use of more than 2,000 Patriot missiles by the United States and Middle Eastern countries against Iranian targets during the first days of the war with Iran. Ukrainian officials had previously said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was refusing to approve interceptor deliveries paid for by allies.