Zelensky reports 30-day wait for Pentagon missile approval

Ukraine has waited nearly a month for Washington to approve a shipment of air defense missiles, President Volodymyr Zelensky told followers on X on Monday.

Zelensky stated that he has been waiting for almost a month for US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to sign off on missiles for Patriot and NASAMS systems. The president said he instructed his team to raise the issue with American officials again to expedite the process.

The delay occurs as Russia increases attacks on Ukrainian energy and civilian infrastructure. Zelensky has previously urged the United States to speed up deliveries under the PURL program, a mechanism allowing NATO allies to purchase US-made weapons for Kyiv. He cited the approaching winter as a factor in the urgency.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the timing last week. He acknowledged that a batch of interceptors might not have been delivered but stated that the delay was not driven by political reasons.

The pending approval adds to friction between Kyiv and Washington. Tensions have risen since US President Donald Trump announced a diesel deal with Russia and criticized Zelensky for not halting Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries.

Separately, Ukraine reported gaps in US intelligence sharing regarding Russian missile attacks in recent weeks. The country also said Starlink’s military version, Starshield, was throttled for several days, disrupting air defenses. Reuters reported that the order to throttle Starshield originated inside the White House, a claim both Elon Musk and US officials have disputed by pointing to each other.