US approves sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine

The US has approved the sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, a critically-needed munition for defence against escalating Russian aerial attacks, after Kyiv said deliveries had been delayed in recent months.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly urged the US to speed up deliveries of its Patriots - the only effective weapon in downing Russia's deadly ballistic missiles.

The latest move comes just days after a row between Zelensky and Donald Trump, with the US president saying it was time for Ukraine to get a new leader to try to end the war with Russia.

It said "Ukraine will pay for this purchase with donations from Canada, Germany, and Norway via the JUMPSTART program and national funds, financed by the European Union's Ukraine Support Loan".

The statement said the "principal contractor" would be American company Lockheed Martin, adding that "no US funds are involved in this sale".

Zelensky said earlier this week that his country had been waiting almost a month for the US to sign off on critical missile supplies.

And in a Telegram post late on Friday, the Ukrainian president reported that earlier in the day Russian ballistic missiles had struck two of the country's regions.

"They continue to carry out terrorist strikes against our cities," he said.

Kaynak: BBC News World RSS (Açık Basın / Haber Servisi)