Washington announces to supply Ukraine with Patriot air defense system
The United States will provide Ukraine with its most sophisticated air defense system, the Patriot, the head of American diplomacy announced on Wednesday, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was preparing to land in Washington.
“Today’s tranche of aid includes for the first time the Patriot air defense system, capable of shooting down cruise missiles, short-range ballistic missiles and aircraft at significantly higher altitudes than systems defense that had been provided up to that point,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
The State Department then clarified that Washington was currently sending only one of these highly mobile systems, at a time when Ukraine is being put to the test by the intensification of strikes from Moscow.
The Patriot is part of a new tranche of US military aid to Ukraine worth regarding $1.85 billion, including $1 billion in donations to kyiv of weapons from US military stockpiles — which can be delivered quickly– and 850 million orders to the defense industry, which implies delays of several months, even several years.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly asked Western capitals for modern air defense systems in recent weeks. Russia has been increasing its bombardments on Ukrainian energy infrastructure since October.
The Patriots, whose effectiveness has been widely demonstrated in recent years in Iraq and the Gulf, are armaments likely to play a useful role in countering these attacks.
Washington will also send additional ammunition for Ukrainian artillery, including HIMARS rockets, armored vehicles, mortars and 155mm precision missiles, the NATO standard.
Among the armaments ordered from American industry are notably ammunition of various calibers, satellite communication terminals and funds intended for the training of Ukrainian troops.
This new installment brings total US military assistance to Ukraine to $21.3 billion since Russia invaded the country on February 24 and $21.9 billion since Joe Biden arrived in Ukraine. the White House in January 2021.
