US approves $2.1 billion Patriot missile sale to Ukraine

The US State Department has approved the potential sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 MSE interceptor missiles to Ukraine for an estimated $2.1 billion. The package includes classified and unclassified spare parts, logistical support, and services linked to the program.

Canada, Germany and Norway will finance the purchase through the US JUMPSTART mechanism, alongside national funds backed by the European Union's Ukraine Support Loan. The State Department said the operation will not use US budgetary resources.

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a partner country that represents a force of political and economic stability in Europe.”

The authorization covers the PAC-3 MSE variant, the most advanced model of the Patriot system. Ukraine has used these batteries to intercept ballistic targets whose speed and trajectory require specific missile defense capabilities.

The shipment will allow Ukrainian forces to sustain operations of Patriot systems already deployed. The approval followed Kyiv's warning about dwindling reserves.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine waited nearly a month for authorization to receive supplies considered essential. He also accused the Pentagon of delaying deliveries purchased by other countries for Ukraine's army.

The shortage coincided with a new Russian offensive against infrastructure and civilian areas. A drone strike on a rail platform in Dnipro killed at least 14 people on Thursday, while five died in daytime strikes on two other provincial cities and a night missile strike killed one person in Kyiv.

Zelenskyy said Russia fired 17 ballistic missiles overnight in a video released on Friday. Weapons sales typically take years to fulfill, and the missiles have yet to be manufactured, with delivery not expected until the 2030s.