The U.S. will redirect shipments of missiles that were set to go to other countries and send them to Ukraine instead as Russia accelerates its attacks on the country’s power grid, the White House announced on Thursday. 

The other countries will still eventually receive the weapons they ordered, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on a call, but deliveries of Patriot and NASAM missiles will be delayed. 

“We're going to reprioritize the deliveries of these exports so that those missiles rolling off the production line will now be provided to Ukraine,” Kirby said, adding this will ensure that the U.S. is “able to provide Ukraine with the missiles they need to maintain their stockpiles at a key moment in the war.”

Kirby noted the U.S. made the decision, which he called “difficult but necessary,” due to Russia recently ramping up attacks on cities and civilian infrastructure, with the goal of destroying Ukraine’s energy system ahead of the winter. 

“Again, this is not a new tactic for them, but they have certainly applied a lot more energy and effort into it in recent months,” Kirby said. “As we've heard from [Ukrainian] President Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian military is in desperate need of additional air defense capabilities.”

Kirby said that while the U.S. has “continued to dig deep” to provide Ukraine with additional air defense systems from our own stockpile and other allies have stepped up as well, “more is needed and it's needed now.” 

Recently, Zelenskyy has pleaded for additional Patriot systems, saying they are essential to defend the country against Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure and the power grid. The U.S. first provided a Patriot missile battery to Ukraine in Dec. 2022, nearly a year after Russia’s invasion. 

The first shipment of such weapons due to this “reprioritization” will take place over the coming weeks and “certainly” before the end of the summer, Kirby told reporters. 

He declined to say which countries the move will impact but pointed out that Taiwan will not be affected in terms of what it “continues to need and to receive from the United States with respect to their self defense.” Israel, which is currently at war with Hamas in Gaza, will not be impacted either, Kirby said.  

The U.S. has informed all of the countries that will be affected of the decision, Kirby said, adding that the response was “broadly understanding of it.” 

“The broader message here to Russia is clear: if you think you're going to be able to outlast Ukraine, and if you think you're gonna be able to outlast those of us who are supporting Ukraine, you're just flat out wrong,” he said. 

The announcement came one day after Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to North Korea for the first time in 24 years, where he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a pact pledging that their countries would assist one another if either faces “aggression.” 

Kirby on Thursday said the move was “no surprise,” noting that the U.S. has been vocal about North Korea enabling Russia’s war in Ukraine. 

“Russia is absolutely isolated on the world stage, they've been forced to rely again on countries like North Korea and Iran,” Kirby said. “We’re just going to keep supporting Ukraine as they defend themselves from Russia.”