PURL initiative covered 75% of Ukraine's needs for Patriot missiles and 90% for other air defense systems - Shmyhal

The PURL initiative has become a key source of ammunition for Ukraine's air defense, providing about 75% of all missiles for Patriot systems and almost 90% of missiles for other air defense systems supplied to Kyiv. Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal has announced this.

He also noted that the PURL initiative provides funding from donor countries for the purchase of American weapons. These purchases are carried out strictly according to a priority list of needs previously formed by Ukraine and approved by the United States and NATO.

All in all, 21 countries have joined the PURL, and the total amount of contributions has reached USD 4 billion.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal said following the 31st meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense (Ramstein) on October 15 in Brussels, Belgium, that the new contributions to the PURL initiative amounted to USD 422 million, and over USD 715 million for procurement from the Ukrainian defense industry.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Netherlands had approved the second major aid package to Ukraine under the PURL program. This program allows the Ukrainian side to purchase modern American weapons, in particular key air defense equipment and the long-awaited F-16 fighters.