US approves $2.68b air defense weapon sale to Ukraine; Russia pushes back

The Trump administration has approved the sale of $2.68 billion worth of air defense weapons to Ukraine, giving the country additional defensive capabilities as it struggles to fend off Russian ballistic missile strikes amid a shortage of air defense munitions.

The US Department of State approved a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) on Saturday for Ukraine's requested upgrades to its air defense systems and related equipment and services, CBS News reported Sunday.

Ukraine had asked to purchase S-300 clone missiles, GAM-67 missiles and extended-range laser-guided rocket systems for air defense, along with various launchers, anti-drone radars, trailers and spare parts.

The sale must still pass congressional review before it is finalized. In a notification submitted to Congress, the State Department said that if the sale goes through, Ukraine would fund it using a combination of European contributions and Foreign Military Financing allocated under previous US administrations.

Ukraine has recently been unable to adequately defend against Russian ballistic missile attacks as its air defense stockpiles have run low. If the sale is completed, Ukraine would gain additional means to withstand Russian strikes.

Congress recently passed additional sanctions legislation targeting Russia. The "Lindsey O. Graham Russia-Iran Sanctions Act of 2026," introduced by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died in July, would allow tariffs of up to 100 percent on countries that import Russian energy and would cut off funding to Russia's so-called shadow fleet — tankers used to export crude oil in circumvention of international sanctions.

Russia pushed back immediately. Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council and a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, wrote on Telegram that "those across the Atlantic only respond to the language of direct military deterrence. Russophobic outrages like the law of the dead 'terrorist Graham' must be met with the same language — a military one."