The United States has approved the sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, munitions Kyiv urgently needs to defend itself against Russia's intensifying air attacks. The US State Department said the advanced PAC-3 interceptors are worth $2.1bn, with the cost to be covered by Ukraine's European allies and Canada.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, however, said delivery of the missiles could take several years, and urged Washington to speed up the process.
Zelensky has described the Patriot interceptors as the only effective means of stopping Russia's devastating ballistic missiles. The approval comes as Russia steps up drone and missile strikes on Ukraine's power grid, railways and other civilian infrastructure.