Patriot missile deliveries to Ukraine through PURL have been irregular since May, WP reports
Deliveries of U.S.-made Patriot interceptor missiles to Ukraine through a NATO-coordinated, European-funded weapons program have become irregular since May, leaving Kyiv uncertain whether new shipments will arrive, The Washington Post reported on October 15, citing Ukrainian officials.
The warning comes as Ukraine's stockpile of Patriot interceptors, critical for defending against Russian ballistic missiles, has fallen to almost nothing.
A Ukrainian official told the newspaper that the country had just 10 interceptors remaining as of October 7, which were subsequently used to repel Russian attacks. Only a couple were left afterward, the official said. Another person familiar with the situation said Ukraine had run out entirely.
The Washington Post reported that the shortages reflect intense demand for Patriot missiles in Ukraine and the Middle East, where U.S. and allied stockpiles have been depleted by ongoing conflicts.
The United States fired more than 1,000 Patriot and THAAD interceptors combined during the first month of the war with Iran. Individual Patriot missiles can cost more than $4 million and take up to 36 months to manufacture.
Ukraine receives U.S. weapons through the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), under which European countries finance American arms deliveries.
A senior NATO official told The Washington Post that the program remained operational and air defense missiles, including Patriot interceptors, continued to reach Ukraine.
However, a Ukrainian official disputed the reliability of those deliveries.
"Since May, supplies have been irregular, and right now no one can say with any certainty or guarantee that a delivery will actually arrive," the official said.
CNN separately reported on October 15 that Ukraine had exhausted its Patriot interceptor stocks, leaving the country increasingly vulnerable to Russian ballistic missile attacks amid tensions between Kyiv and Washington over Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities.