Ukraine received only 12 Patriot missiles per month from the US — Zelenskyi

28.10.2026, 13:00 rubryka.com

According to Zelenskyi, he decided to disclose the actual volume of US assistance now. Ukraine had also negotiated weapons supplies with other countries, which also affected the number of Patriot missiles available to it.

"Throughout 2026, Ukraine has been receiving 12 Patriot missiles per month from the United States. Now that the year is nearing its end, I can speak openly about this. Besides, everyone has already figured it out from the number of interceptions, which, unfortunately, is low," Zelenskyi said.

He also noted that Ukraine's negotiations with other countries over weapons supplies affected the number of Patriot missiles available to Ukraine.

"Of course, my agreements with other countries affected the number of Patriot missiles Ukraine had. But we received 12 missiles a month from America. The reason is the Middle East. Imagine this: you can count on 150 missiles a year from the United States, while you have to intercept 150 ballistic missiles a month," the president stressed.

Zelenskyi said he works every day to find the weapons Ukraine needs and puts together new aid packages every week to counter Russian ballistic missiles.

However, finding missiles in other countries is not enough — US approval is required to transfer them to Ukraine. The president cited the example of a shipment of 12 missiles for which US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had signed the documents. Meanwhile, Ukraine had already used 35 missiles in a month and found another 23 through other channels.

During a meeting with Donald Trump in New York, the Ukrainian president asked him to approve a "winter package" of interceptor missiles. Zelenskyi specified the number needed and said that, if Ukraine received those missiles, it would not strike oil refineries.

Trump asked where the necessary interceptors could be found. Zelenskyi named the countries that had such missiles. According to the Ukrainian president, the White House chief promised to make every effort to secure them but noted that the United States also needed these weapons because supplies were limited.

Zelenskyi also mentioned several issues that, in his words, had converged at the same time.

"So when various factors converge at a certain point — the Starlink/Starshield issue, intelligence, interceptor missiles against Russian ballistic missiles, signatures, and then the 'diesel deal' gets thrown into the mix — we understand where this is all heading.

'Home Alone' — the next installment. This is a challenge, a difficult challenge," he said.

The president also recalled that Ukraine had helped the United States at its request. This included assistance related to bases in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries where American citizens are stationed.

What is known about Ukraine-US agreements on Patriot missiles

On July 13, speaking in Paris at a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, Zelenskyi confirmed that he and President Trump had reached an important agreement on licenses to manufacture Patriot systems. He described the agreement as historic.

On September 25, it was reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi had received a final decision to grant Ukraine licenses to manufacture missiles for Patriot air defense systems during his meeting with US President Donald Trump in New York.

Zelenskyi has repeatedly stressed Ukraine's urgent need for Patriot interceptor missiles ahead of winter. Russia produces around 140 ballistic missiles per month, while NATO standards call for twice as many interceptor missiles to shoot them down.

At the same time, Zelenskyi acknowledged that obtaining such quantities is unrealistic. Even a supply of 100 missiles per month, he said, would be an "enormous challenge" for Ukraine.

The United Kingdom has announced that it will provide Ukraine with £100 million, equivalent to around €116 million, for a new military aid package. It will include air defense equipment, including Patriot missiles, large-caliber artillery shells, and drones.