Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused the United States of delaying deliveries of Patriot air defence missiles purchased by Kyiv’s NATO allies, warning that shortages are undermining Ukraine’s ability to intercept Russian ballistic missile attacks.

In an interview with Bloomberg published on Sunday, Zelensky said Washington had approved only part of the missiles financed through the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a NATO-coordinated initiative under which allies fund purchases of US-made weapons for Ukraine.

“The American side approved the delivery of only some of them, but not the rest. And this is not a technical issue,” Zelensky said.

He said the United States was currently supplying Ukraine with only 12 Patriot interceptor missiles per month, about a quarter of the number provided under former President Joe Biden’s administration. Unlike military assistance delivered under Biden, the missiles must now be purchased, he added.

The reported delays come as Ukraine faces renewed Russian ballistic missile attacks and dwindling stocks of interceptors needed to protect its cities and critical infrastructure.

Ukrainian Patriot missile stocks had reached critically low levels by mid-October, according to media reports. A Ukrainian official told The Washington Post that only a handful of interceptors remained, while CNN separately reported that Kyiv had exhausted its available missiles.

Patriot systems are among Ukraine’s most important defences against Russian ballistic missiles, which are difficult to intercept with other air defence systems.

Russia launched ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv on consecutive nights on October 18 and 19, killing at least one person in the first attack and damaging residential buildings and infrastructure, according to the report.

Zelensky also said he had proposed suspending Ukrainian attacks on Russian diesel infrastructure in exchange for additional Patriot missiles to protect Ukrainian facilities.

“My latest model was: We don't target Russian diesel, you give us missiles for Patriot systems to protect our facilities. But they just want us to stop attacking diesel,” he told Bloomberg.

The proposal comes amid growing tensions between Kyiv and Washington over US President Donald Trump’s reported demands that Ukraine halt attacks on Russian oil refineries.

The Trump administration has threatened to restrict military and intelligence support unless Ukraine ends the campaign, according to reports cited in the original account. Russia, meanwhile, continues to target Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Trump previously appeared to support expanding Ukraine’s access to Patriot technology. In July, he told Zelensky that Ukraine could produce the missiles domestically, but later said Washington had not agreed to grant the necessary licences, describing the technology as difficult to share.

In September, Zelensky said Trump had made a final decision to grant Ukraine licences to manufacture Patriot missiles. Domestic production has yet to begin.

Zelensky has repeatedly appealed to Washington for additional interceptors as Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure intensify.

The US government has not publicly confirmed Zelensky’s latest figures or explained the reported delays in approving missile deliveries. (ILKHA)