SriLanka, Oct. 31 -- The United States has approved the sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, a critically-needed munition for defence against escalating Russian aerial attacks.

However Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned it could take "several years" for the deliveries to arrive.

The US State Department said the advanced PAC-3 interceptor missiles would cost $2.1bn (£1.6bn) and would be "funded entirely" by Kyiv's allies in Europe and Canada.

On Friday night Zelensky repeated his calls for the US to speed up the release of its Patriots - the only effective weapon in downing Russia's deadly ballistic missiles.

The latest move comes after a row between Zelensky and Donald Trump earlier this month when the US eased...