Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated on Monday that his country has been waiting for nearly a month for the United States defense secretary to approve critical missile supplies. The delay comes as Russia intensifies its military strikes targeting energy grids and civilian infrastructure across Ukraine.
Writing on the social media platform X, Zelenskiy detailed the stalled equipment shipments. In particular, Ukraine has been waiting for nearly a month for Pete Hegseth to sign off on missiles for Patriot and NASAMS air defense systems. Zelenskiy noted that he instructed his team to raise the issue with the American side once again.
The Ukrainian leader has repeatedly urged the United States to accelerate shipments ahead of the winter season. The missiles in question are purchased by NATO allies under a program known as PURL and supplied through the United States.
Addressing the delays last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged that a batch of interceptors may not have been delivered as scheduled. However, Rubio maintained that the delay was not driven by political reasons.
The holdup on missile deliveries compounds existing diplomatic and operational tensions between Kyiv and Washington. These strains follow recent announcements by US President Donald Trump concerning a diesel deal with Russia, alongside public criticisms directed at Zelenskiy over Ukraine’s continued targeting of Russian oil refineries.
In addition to the delayed missile approvals, Ukraine reported recent friction in military coordination and technology access. Ukrainian officials stated that the country experienced temporary gaps in receiving intelligence from the US regarding incoming Russian missile attacks. Furthermore, the military version of Starlink was reportedly throttled for days, disrupting frontline military operations and air defense coordination.
Reporting indicated that the directive to restrict Starshield originated from within the White House. Meanwhile, both SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and US officials stated publicly that any decisions regarding limitations on Starlink and Starshield services could only have been enacted by the other party.
