--- title: "Zelenskyy: US supplies Ukraine with only 12 Patriot missiles a month — four times fewer than under Biden" description: "In an interview with Bloomberg, Zelenskyy stated that the US supplies Ukraine with only 12 Patriot missiles a month — four times fewer than under Biden, and part of the paid supplies remains unapproved." date: 2026-10-18T22:12:49.595Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/zelenskyy-us-patriot-supplies-bloomberg tags: [ukraine, patriot-missiles, us-aid, zelensky, air-defense, trump] author: "Alexander Buran" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Zelenskyy: US supplies Ukraine with only 12 Patriot missiles a month — four times fewer than under Biden ![Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks into a microphone during an interview event](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/18/zelensky-ssha-patriot-postavki-bloomberg/zelensky-ssha-patriot-postavki-bloomberg-1.webp) ## Key Points - According to Zelenskyy, the US supplies Ukraine with 12 Patriot missiles a month — about four times fewer than under Biden, and Ukraine now buys them rather than receiving them for free. - Part of the weaponry already paid for by Kyiv has not been approved by Washington; Zelenskyy proposed a deal: Ukraine does not strike Russian diesel, and the US provides Patriot missiles. - According to CNN, Ukraine's Patriot missile stocks are depleted once again; Greece and Spain refused to hand over their missiles to Kyiv. In an interview with the American publication Bloomberg, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the US supplies Ukraine with only 12 missiles for Patriot air defense systems per month — about four times fewer than under the administration of Joe Biden. According to him, some of the weapons already paid for by Kyiv have still not been approved by Washington, and he emphasized that "this is not a technical issue." Patriot missiles remain the main means of countering Russian ballistic missiles, which inflict the greatest damage on the infrastructure of Ukrainian cities. ### From Free Aid to Purchase: How Conditions Have Changed Under Biden, the rate of Patriot missile deliveries was about four times higher, and the systems were transferred free of charge as military aid. Under the administration of Donald Trump, Ukraine acquires them independently, including through the PURL program, in which allies pay for American weapons for Kyiv. It is through this model, according to Zelenskyy, that Kyiv has already paid for some of the deliveries, but only a portion has been approved, while the remaining missiles are delayed. ### The Diesel "Deal" Zelenskyy reported that he offered Washington a specific agreement: Ukraine refrains from strikes on Russian diesel fuel facilities, and in response, the US ensures the supply of Patriot missiles to protect Ukrainian objects. According to the president, the American side, conversely, "simply wants us to stop hitting diesel fuel," and in the event of strikes, "we will be cut off from something." Thus, in his assessment, the issue of supplies is tied to conditions that Kyiv considers unacceptable. ### Shortage and European Deadlock According to CNN, Ukraine's stocks of Patriot missiles are depleted once again, which is why the latest massive ballistic missile strike could not be fully repelled. Zelenskyy previously stated that Kyiv gathers missiles "one or two at a time" from the leaders of other countries, and only the US is capable of providing large-scale assistance. European partners, according to him, are not helping: Greece and Spain refused to transfer Patriot missiles to Ukraine, even though some of them are expiring. ### What's Next: Licenses and Local Production Against the backdrop of the deficit, an alternative scenario is being discussed. As RBC reported, Donald Trump permitted the transfer to Ukraine of a license to produce "less advanced" Patriot missiles. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, however, noted that even establishing local production of anti-aircraft missiles will not lead to an immediate increase in Patriot supplies to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. American media, citing sources, reported that contracts for the supply of other military aid to Kyiv are stretched until the end of 2029, which, according to experts, makes the prospects of Ukraine's air defense on the eve of winter extremely limited. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Украина заплатила за ракеты в Patriot, но США их задерживают, - Зеленский](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ukrayina-zaplatila-raketi-patriot-ale-ssha-1792358495.html) - Primary source: Zelenskyy's quotes from the Bloomberg interview, delivery rate figures (12 missiles/month), the diesel "deal" proposal, refusal by Greece and Spain. - [«Запасы слишком низкие»: СМИ сообщили об отказе США передать Украине ракеты для ЗРК Patriot](https://news.mail.ru/politics/72509730/) - Context: NATO Secretary General Rutte's statements on local production, military aid contracts stretched until the end of 2029. - [Patriot украинского производства: почему эксперты не ждут быстрых результатов](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0/20260709-patriot-%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B4%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%87%D0%B5%D0%BC%D1%83-%D1%8D%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%82%D1%8B-%D0%BD%D0%B5-%D0%B6%D0%B4%D1%83%D1%82-%D0%B1%D1%8B%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D1%8B%D1%85-%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B7%D1%83%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B2) - Context: Trump's statement on the possibility of producing Patriot missiles in Ukraine, expert skepticism. - [Трамп допустил передачу Киеву лицензии на устаревшие ракеты Patriot](https://www.rbc.ru/politics/14/09/2026/6aa78327731b4b6ba7d7a52b) - Context: Trump permitted the transfer of a license for "less advanced" Patriot missiles. ## FAQ ### How many Patriot missiles is Ukraine currently receiving? According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview with Bloomberg, the US supplies Ukraine with 12 Patriot missiles a month — about four times fewer than under the Biden administration. ### Why is Ukraine now buying missiles instead of receiving them for free? Under Biden, Patriot missiles were transferred free of charge as military aid. Under the Trump administration, Ukraine acquires them independently, including through the PURL program where allies pay for US weapons for Kyiv. ### What did Zelenskyy propose to Washington? Zelenskyy proposed an arrangement: Ukraine refrains from strikes on Russian diesel fuel facilities, and the US ensures the supply of Patriot missiles to protect Ukrainian infrastructure.