Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that the United States, under President Donald Trump, diverted 20,000 anti-drone missiles originally intended for Ukraine to American forces in the Middle East.
In an interview with ABC News published Sunday, Zelensky expressed concern over the redirected shipment, which Ukraine had counted on to defend against waves of Russian drone attacks—particularly Iranian-designed Shahed drones.
“We have big problems with Shaheds,” Zelensky said. “We counted on this project—20,000 missiles. Anti-Shahed missiles. It was not expensive, but it’s a special technology.”
The missile delivery, initiated during President Joe Biden’s term and coordinated with then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, was designed to provide Ukraine with a cost-effective system to combat aerial threats.
However, a **Wall Street Journal** report dated June 4 stated that the Trump administration ordered the redirection of the munitions, including specialized fuzes for the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, citing an urgent need in the Middle East. The decision was reportedly conveyed to Congress in a classified Pentagon message under the current Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth.
A Ukrainian military intelligence source told *The Kyiv Independent* that Russia is preparing to escalate its drone warfare campaign, potentially deploying over 500 long-range drones in a single night as its production capacity grows.
Since Trump began his second term in January, his administration has frozen new U.S. military aid to Ukraine. Although deliveries briefly resumed after Ukraine agreed to a ceasefire framework in peace talks held in Jeddah on March 11, further aid approvals remain on hold.
