Germany immediately provides additional Patriot air defense system to Ukraine amid Russian missile strikes
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Immediate transfer of Patriot system to Ukraine in addition to air defense systems that have already been delivered and are still planned, is underway, German Defense Ministry reported on X on April 13.
Germany immediately provides additional Patriot air defense system to Ukraine amid Russian missile strikes
Immediate transfer of Patriot system to Ukraine in addition to air defense systems that have already been delivered and are still planned, is underway, German Defense Ministry reported on X on April 13.
Publication also quotes German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius saying that the decision to provide Ukraine with an additional Patriot is due to fact that Russian terror against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure is causing unimaginable suffering, threatening energy supply of population and disabling industrial facilities important for combat readiness of Ukrainian Armed Forces.
“We are supporting Ukraine as much as we can in terms of our own operational readiness,” Pistorius also said.
“Before this decision was made, I already advocated that new purchases be made as soon as possible, and we are working hard to replace (the Patriot system that Germany is transferring to Ukraine).”
New Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Ukraine is currently in active negotiations with its allies to supply two Patriot batteries and one Samp-T on April 12.
He added that if partners were ready to transfer these systems, issue would be resolved within a few weeks, and Ukraine would receive them.
Earlier, Kuleba suggested that countries that have Patriot systems should lend them to Ukrainian Armed Forces.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine received Patriot systems not from United States but from partner countries on March 28.
He added that money allocated for Patriot systems never came to Ukraine directly. Transfer of these air defense systems was handled by European Union countries.
President also noted that Ukraine had submitted requests for air defense systems to every country that possesses them on March 30.
Read also: EU top diplomat Borrell criticizes Western powers for lack of support for Ukrainian air defense
Kuleba stated that he was working to receive seven Patriot air defense batteries as soon as possible.
According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister, his team identified more than 100 Patriots that are not used - some neighboring countries use more than one battery to protect single port or airfield.
Kuleba notes that partners do not want to give Ukraine “five or seven” Patriots, although they have more than 100 on April 3.
Read also: Desperate Ukraine asks to borrow Patriot air defense systems from its allies, will return when asked
Zelenskyy said that 25 Patriot systems or their equivalents are needed to fully protect Ukraine’s airspace from Russian attacks on April 6.
Kuleba said that if Ukraine had a sufficient number of Patriot systems, destruction of Trypillia thermal power plant near Kyiv by Russian missile strike would not have happened on April 12.
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
