Zelenskiy accuses Washington of delaying Patriot shipments as deliveries fall to 12 missiles a month

Key Facts

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Washington of delaying some shipments of Patriot interceptor missiles paid for through a NATO-coordinated initiative, amid Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities. In an interview with Bloomberg, details of which were reported by Ukrinform and the Kyiv Independent, he said the United States currently supplies 12 interceptors a month. That is about a quarter of the delivery rate under former U.S. President Joe Biden, according to Zelenskiy's comparison. The Ukrainian president said U.S. approval remained pending for some shipments despite payment. But he acknowledged that other shipments had been approved, saying: "Some of the shipments have been approved."

Zelenskiy's complaint coincided with an overnight Russian attack on Ukraine, details of which were reported by The National on 19 October 2026. The Ukrainian president said Russia fired 16 ballistic missiles at the capital, Kyiv, and surrounding areas during the attack. The wave of attacks also involved more than 200 drones across Ukraine, according to the newspaper. Zelenskiy added that the strikes damaged more than 10 energy sites, a tally covering facilities in the targeted sector. The attacks left more than half a million households without power, with the effects of the bombardment extending to electricity supplies to homes.

The disputed arms purchases are being made through the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List initiative, launched in July 2025, according to NATO. Allies use it to purchase U.S. military equipment for Ukraine, while the alliance coordinates the process among participating parties. Funding from allies and partners for U.S. military equipment through the initiative exceeded $6 billion, according to the alliance's October 2026 update. In an announcement of his visit to Estonia that same month, NATO's secretary general welcomed a new Estonian contribution of 10 million euros. Describing its role in the initiative, NATO said it plays "a crucial coordinating role," while contributing countries are responsible for purchasing and financing the equipment.

More broadly, the Ukrainian government reported 2,147 Russian attacks on the energy sector from the time the reshuffled government took office until its announcement in October 2026. It estimated direct losses inflicted on companies by Russian strikes this year at about $7.7 billion. It said its response to the attacks includes expanding distributed electricity generation, among measures to address damage to the sector. The economic repercussions outlined by the government extended to maritime transport, with ships bound for Ukrainian ports currently unable to obtain international insurance because of elevated risks, it said. It added that the state had agreed to cover some of the associated losses, in a government intervention to address the insurance difficulties facing ships.

The Washington Post previously quoted a Ukrainian official as saying the stockpile of Patriot interceptor missiles had fallen to just 10 missiles on 7 October 2026. The official said those missiles were subsequently used during the attacks, according to the report on Ukraine's dwindling stockpile. On interceptor manufacturing, Zelenskiy discussed launching joint production of Patriot missiles with a Lockheed Martin team, according to a statement from the Ukrainian presidency. During the meeting, he expressed interest in using licences allowing production inside Ukraine, as part of discussions with the defence company's team. Zelenskiy said, according to the presidency's statement: "We would be very happy to use licences for production in Ukraine."

On the diplomatic front, Zelenskiy linked acceptance of a halt to Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities to securing more U.S. Patriot interceptor missiles. Reuters, citing his interview with the Financial Times, reported that he made delivery of those interceptors "a minimum" requirement for agreeing to halt the strikes. The Ukrainian president's condition involves receiving additional missiles in exchange for accepting the arrangement concerning Russian energy facilities, according to the interview. In a separate call, Zelenskiy discussed the results of a meeting between Ukrainian and U.S. teams in Florida with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, according to the Ukrainian presidency. The conversation covered the results reached by the teams at that meeting, as part of contacts between Kyiv and representatives of the U.S. president.