Zelenskyy thanks US over deal for 500 Patriot missiles but warns delivery could take years

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has praised the US for its "strong decision" to approve the sale of 500 much-coveted Patriot missiles to Ukraine - but he has warned that delivery could take years.

The US State Department announced on Friday that Washington had green-lit a package of Patriot PAC-3 interceptors worth $2.1 billion as Kyiv continues to defend against Russian missile and drone attacks.

"Five hundred PAC-3 interceptors is a substantial number, and very soon – this winter – they COULD make for a highly effective defence package," Zelenskyy wrote in a post on social media in response.

"However, it has been stipulated that deliveries may begin ONLY IN A FEW YEARS," he continued. "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."

Earlier this week, Zelenskyy said Kyiv had been waiting for almost a month for US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to sign off on a batch of missiles for both the Patriot and NASAMS systems.

Kyiv has long called for more interceptors to help its forces fend off Russian attacks, and the rapidly approaching winter is pressing home that need. Russia has repeatedly sought to target Ukraine's power grid over wartime winter periods as Moscow has looked to break the country's resolve.

Dwindling stocks of interceptors have already encouraged Russia to ramp up missile attacks in recent months, and there are fears this trend could lead to an especially brutal winter for Ukrainians.

"The United States, our European partners, and other partners around the world have sufficient stocks of PAC-3 interceptors in their warehouses," Zelenskyy said overnight. "Providing them to Ukraine right now – in the winter of 2026–2027 – and replenishing our partners’ arsenals LATER, in THE FOLLOWING YEARS, through this production already contracted and paid for by Ukraine and our partners would be the right approach."

The Patriot missile platform is one of the world's most advanced air defence systems and can be used to defend against a variety of threats, including incoming aircraft and ballistic missiles.

Ukraine receives the majority of its Patriots through NATO’s Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative, which facilitates the purchase of military equipment and munitions from the US by allies and partners.

As of June 2026, allies had committed to funding more than $6 billion of defence equipment for Ukraine through the scheme, per NATO.