Ukraine turns to EU’s €90bn loan for US missiles as Patriot shield cracks under Russian barrage

Ukraine has formally asked the European Union to use its €90 billion support loan to help fund the purchase of US-made PAC-3 interceptor missiles for its Patriot air-defence systems, as Kyiv faces a critical shortage of interceptors amid continued Russian aerial attacks.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed the request in a post on X. “We will keep supporting Ukraine, including with European air defence and PAC-3 Patriot systems,” von der Leyen said.She added that the EU would “work closer than ever with Nato” to deter threats to European freedom and security.The request came as Ukrainian Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara pressed allies for additional military assistance. Khmara said Kyiv was also asking partner countries to allocate funds from their national budgets toward procuring Ukrainian-made drones.Ukraine currently faces a $27 billion defence budget shortfall, Khmara said, arguing that continued European support would ultimately benefit both Ukraine and its allies.“Every euro invested in Ukraine’s defence is an investment in European security,” he said.EU’s €90 billion Ukraine support loanThe European Council agreed in December 2025 to provide Ukraine with a €90 billion loan for 2026 and 2027, aimed at covering the country’s urgent budgetary and defence needs. The Council finalised the legislation underpinning the loan on April 23, 2026, clearing the way for the European Commission to begin disbursing the funds.Under the framework, €30 billion is earmarked for macroeconomic support and can be used to meet Ukraine’s immediate budgetary requirements. The remaining €60 billion is intended to strengthen Ukraine’s defence-industrial capacity and finance the procurement of defence products.The loan is being raised by the EU through borrowing on capital markets and is backed by the bloc’s budget. Under the arrangement, Ukraine is expected to repay the loan only after it receives war reparations from Russia.Why Ukraine is running short of Patriot missilesKyiv’s request for PAC-3 interceptors comes as Ukraine struggles to maintain adequate stocks of one of its most important air-defence weapons.The Patriot system is among Ukraine’s most capable defences against Russian ballistic missiles, but years of sustained attacks have steadily depleted its interceptor stocks. The problem has become increasingly acute as Moscow has stepped up large-scale long-range missile strikes.The scale of Ukraine’s requirement was highlighted by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in July. He said Ukraine would need at least 140 Patriot interceptors to defend against a single Russian attack involving around 70 ballistic missiles.The challenge is not simply the number of missiles being fired. Russia increasingly combines ballistic missiles with cruise missiles, drones and decoys in complex saturation attacks. This forces Ukrainian air-defence commanders to make difficult decisions about where to deploy a limited supply of high-value interceptors.A further complication is growing global demand for Patriot missiles. The United States used significant numbers of Patriot interceptors during its conflict with Iran, while Gulf countries have also drawn on their own stocks to defend against missile and drone attacks.For Ukraine, the result is a growing race for a weapon that has become indispensable to its defence against Russia’s increasingly sophisticated aerial assault.