Skip to main content

U.S. approves potential $2.7 billion air-defense sale to Ukraine, funded by European contributions and Biden-era military aid

Source: U.S. State Department

The U.S. State Department has approved a possible $2.68 billion sale of air defense equipment to Ukraine, the department said in a statement. The deal covers air defense upgrades and related equipment.

If the sale goes through, Ukraine will pay for it with contributions from European countries and with money from the U.S. Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program allocated under the previous U.S. administration.

According to the State Department’s statement, Ukraine requested:

  • S-300 “clone” missiles and GAM-67 missiles
  • Extended-range, laser-guided air defense missile systems
  • Transporter-launchers
  • Modification kits for mobile launch systems
  • RPS-202 counter-drone radars

The State Department said the sale will “improve Ukraine’s capability to meet current and future threats” while having “no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness.”

Ukrainian officials have said repeatedly in recent weeks that they are running short of missiles for their Patriot systems. Without those interceptors, Ukraine’s armed forces have essentially no way to shoot down Russian ballistic missiles. The shortage will be especially acute as winter sets in. Analysts believe Moscow plans to step up strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during the cold months to strengthen its negotiating position.

Responding to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s public calls to send Kyiv more Patriot missiles, U.S. President Donald Trump has said the United States needs them itself.

At a July 28 meeting at the White House, Zelensky asked Trump to send Ukraine 300 Patriot missiles before winter. Trump refused, sources later told U.S. media outlets.

At Meduza, we are committed to transparency about our use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story you’re reading was written by one of our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is the result of extensive testing and refinements to ensure our English-language coverage is timely and accurate. A Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.

If you find any errors in this translation, please contact us at [email protected].

To read Meduza’s exclusive content in English, please subscribe to our newsletter.