Ukraine to receive missiles in first US weapon supply under new system, Zelenskiy says

By Yuliia Dysa, Mike Stone and Jonathan Landay

KYIV/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ukraine will receive missiles for Patriot air defence systems and HIMARS rocket launchers in the first batch of weapons being sent under a new funding programme agreed by the U.S. and Ukraine's European allies, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday.

Reuters first reported the Trump administration's approval of weapons aid packages for Kyiv on Tuesday.

Ukraine has so far secured over $2 billion in financing for U.S.-produced weapons via a NATO-led mechanism called the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), according to Zelenskiy. He said he expected the total committed funds to reach $3.5 billion in October.

NATO allies hope to provide $10 billion in arms for Ukraine.

The first two batches, worth $500 million each, will "definitely include missiles for Patriot and HIMARS," Zelenskiy said at a joint press conference with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola in Kyiv on Wednesday.

HIMARS are ground-launched rocket-propelled artillery that have been crucial to Ukraine's fight with Russia.

The first batches of equipment funding through PURL were already on their way, NATO's senior representative in Ukraine told Reuters.

"Four packages under the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List have already been funded and equipment is already flowing," Patrick Turner said.

Trump has long been critical of the billions of dollars the United States has spent on military aid for Ukraine. The PURL initiative offers a way for Europe to pay for the weapons and the U.S. to send them.

Reuters reported on Tuesday that U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby had approved as many as two $500 million shipments under the new mechanism.

Additional packages, each worth about $500 million, are working their way through the approval system, sources said.

Until now, the Trump administration has only sold weapons to Ukraine or shipped donations that had been authorized by former President Joe Biden, who was a staunch supporter of Kyiv.

Ukraine is heavily dependent on Western long-range air defence systems to shoot down Russian missiles. Kyiv regularly renews calls for additional supplies after Russian strikes resulting in a high civilian death toll.

Ukraine is also bracing ahead of the winter, as officials believe Russia will accelerate strikes on the shattered energy system, including gas infrastructure. 

(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Rosalba O'Brien)