Zelenskyy Says Hegseth Has Not Signed Off on Paid-For Patriot Missiles as Russian Strikes Kill at Least 4

Russia's strikes on the Kyiv region have kept coming, and the argument over who is holding up Ukraine's air defense has moved into the open. Regional police said at least four people were killed and 27 wounded, including children, in missile and drone attacks on the Kyiv region over the past day. Ukraine's State Emergency Service and regional officials reported a separate death in Zaporizhzhia.

Zelenskyy is in Norway trying to line up more American and European help. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is expected in Oslo, the Norwegian government said, and Jared Kushner will join the meeting by videoconference. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb were also due to meet Zelenskyy.

The missiles

Speaking to a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers on Monday, Zelenskyy said "the Pentagon is delaying the delivery of missiles" that European countries have already paid for. He said the shipment is waiting on the signature of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

He also said several European countries are ready to hand over Patriot interceptors from their own stockpiles but still need U.S. approval. "The missiles are ready and they could already be in Ukraine," he said. "But unfortunately, there is still no approval."

The Kyiv Independent, citing one senior Ukrainian official and two military officials, reported that contracts for the Patriot missiles are on Hegseth's desk. "He is not signing them," one of the officials said. The same official said Kyiv's allies had already paid. The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration had not approved the transfer.

Much of the stock moves through PURL, the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List, under which allies finance weapons bought from the United States. Ukrainian officials would not disclose current interceptor stockpiles, citing operational security. Zelenskyy has said Ukraine is nearly out of the American-made interceptors it needs against ballistic missiles.

He also claims the U.S. supplies only about 12 Patriot missiles a month, roughly a quarter of what Ukraine received under Joe Biden. That figure is his; no U.S. official has confirmed it.

What Washington and NATO say

The motive is in dispute. Zelenskyy says "some political decision has been made to slow down support for us." One Ukrainian official called it "a political refusal to sign."

A White House official, speaking anonymously to the Washington Post, said the U.S. "continues to play a constructive role in speaking to both sides in working towards bringing the war to an end." That statement did not speak to the missile approvals.

NATO officials gave a more routine account. One said PURL deliveries, including air defense equipment, are continuing. Another acknowledged some deliveries could face delays but said political reasons were unlikely to explain them.

The U.S. also denies changing intelligence sharing with Kyiv. Zelenskyy says Ukraine got no warning of the ballistic missile wave that hit power plants around Kyiv at about 11 p.m. Sunday. A Ukrainian air force spokesperson said there was no warning before the first attack but information arrived before the second, and that experts are looking into it with partners.

On Starshield, Zelenskyy said speed restrictions remain on Ukraine's military satellite internet. Trump has denied ordering a slowdown, after Elon Musk said such an order could only have come from the White House.

Diesel, refineries and the sanctions waiver

The missile dispute sits on top of a fight over Russian fuel. Trump partially lifted Russia sanctions to strike a diesel-supply deal with Vladimir Putin. On Oct. 11 he announced an energy ceasefire, which he tied to global diesel price spikes.

Ukraine resumed refinery strikes on Oct. 14-15, hitting a refinery in Ryazan, according to regional governor Pavel Malkov. "The block is out. We're done," Zelenskyy told the Financial Times. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there had never been a moratorium on such strikes.

Zelenskyy told Bloomberg the Americans mainly want Ukraine to stop hitting Russian fuel infrastructure, while Kyiv wants more Patriots. Axios reported that Witkoff and Kushner asked Ukraine to halt refinery attacks. Zelenskyy has said he would stop targeting Russian diesel production in exchange for Patriot missiles.

Trump has blamed Ukrainian refinery strikes for soaring fuel prices, a major issue in the coming midterm elections. On Monday he said, "Zelenskyy doesn't know what he's talking about," and added: "To be honest, I think it's time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine."

A summit without Kyiv

Trump said he is ready to meet Putin and Xi Jinping in China next month to discuss denuclearization, and that Ukraine could come up. Peskov confirmed that "the topic of such a hypothetical has indeed been mentioned" when asked about a Wall Street Journal report. Putin has said he wants a summit with Trump and Xi but refuses talks with Zelenskyy.

US-led peace efforts have stalled in recent months as Washington has turned its attention to the war with Iran, according to Euronews.

What to watch

Zelenskyy said he had "a substantive conversation" with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is traveling in Asia. He asked for help keeping intelligence flowing. It is unclear whether Witkoff arrives in Oslo with an answer on the Patriot approvals. Neither Hegseth nor the Pentagon has publicly said when the paid-for shipment will be signed off.