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The European Commission said it cannot begin disbursing funds to purchase Patriot air defense interceptor missiles for Ukraine under the €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan until Kyiv submits the necessary signed contracts. The delay highlights bureaucratic hurdles in translating pledged EU financial support into delivered military hardware. The issue comes amid broader European efforts to bolster Ukraine's air defenses against intensifying Russian missile and drone attacks, with officials under pressure to speed up procurement processes.