'It's significant': Ukraine fears US is withholding allied-funded air defense supplies to pressure Kyiv

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has yet to approve the transfer of a significant batch of Patriot interceptor missiles for Ukraine, Ukrainian officials told the Kyiv Independent, raising suspicions that Washington is deliberately withholding the weapons.

The delay comes amid daily Russian ballistic strikes on critical infrastructure and follows wider political tensions over Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil refineries.

Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.