US Delays Patriot Transfers to Ukraine as Russian Strikes Kill at Least 13

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 22

Only “a couple” of Patriot interceptors remained for Ukraine, the Washington Post reported, as Washington held up approval for transfers while Russian missiles kept hitting Ukrainian cities.
620 PAC-3 MSE interceptors were delivered in 2025, but heavy use and the Iran war pushed US Patriot inventories below 1,000, giving the administration a scarcity argument even as Rubio denied any deliberate cutoff.
Washington also used leverage beyond missiles: Reuters said it threatened to halt the allied-funded PURL pipeline to press Kyiv to stop deep strikes on Russian energy sites, while US missile-warning intelligence was interrupted for three days before resuming.
At the same time, Treasury on Oct. 9 authorized specified Russian diesel transactions after US diesel hit a record $6.52 a gallon, though analysis cited in the report said the exports would cover only about 2% of US demand.
The broader dispute is whether Trump’s push for peace is pressuring Ukraine more than Russia, with Moscow still rejecting a 60-day ceasefire and continuing attacks despite talk of an energy truce.