The US-made air defense batteries have been delivered by Germany, the Ukrainian leader has said
Kiev has received additional US-made Patriot air defense systems from Germany, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has said.
Ukraine has been pressing its Western backers for more long-range weapons, including Tomahawk cruise missiles and additional Patriot batteries. The New York Times reported in May that although the country possessed eight Patriot systems, only six were operational.
In a post on X on Sunday, Zelensky thanked German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “Our agreements have been fulfilled. More Patriots are now in Ukraine and being put into operation,” he wrote.
“Of course, more systems are needed to protect key infrastructure sites and our cities across the entire territory of Ukraine, and we will continue working to obtain them – not only at the political level with states and leaders but also directly with manufacturers of all necessary air defense systems and missiles for them,” he added.
The Russian Defense Ministry claims it has destroyed around 40 Patriot launchers since 2023.
While US President Donald Trump has declined to supply Ukraine with Tomahawks, he has allowed NATO countries to purchase American weapons on Kiev’s behalf. Moscow has maintained that no amount of foreign aid will change the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine’s favor.
Last month, Zelensky said Ukraine and the US were preparing a contract for 25 Patriot systems. He added that deliveries could take years unless EU states demonstrate “goodwill” by prioritizing Kiev or transferring systems they already possess.
With each system costing about $1 billion, Ukraine hopes to finance the purchases through an EU loan backed by frozen Russian assets. Russia has condemned any attempt to confiscate its assets as theft.
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