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Washington (AFP) – The United States will supply Ukraine with the Patriot air defense system to help counter air strikes from Moscow, the State Department announced Wednesday.
The system is part of $1.85 billion in assistance presented in parallel with a visit to Washington by Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky, his first trip out of the country since Russia invaded in February.
The announcement is a significant victory for kyiv, which has repeatedly lobbied Washington over the Patriot system, and a strong signal of US support for Ukraine that will help bolster the country’s defenses.
“Today’s assistance includes for the first time the Patriot Air Defense System, capable of shooting down cruise missiles, short-range ballistic missiles and aircraft at a ceiling significantly higher than previously provided air defense systems,” the statement said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Ukraine’s air defenses have played a key role in protecting the country from attack and preventing Moscow’s forces from gaining control of the skies.
But as Russia faced increasing setbacks on the ground, it began systematically attacking critical infrastructure in Ukraine, cutting off electricity, water and heating to millions of people.
Manufactured by Raytheon, the MIM-104 Patriot is a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system initially developed to intercept high-flying aircraft.
It was modified in the 1980s to focus on the new threat of tactical ballistic missiles, and proved effective against Iraq’s Russian-made Scuds in the first Gulf War, the first time the system had been used in combat.
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