Putin Is Preparing for Patriot Missiles to Arrive In Ukraine: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy teased major new developments in obtaining advanced air defense systems from Western allies last week during a nightly address to the nation.
His comments followed reports that the United States was considering sending Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, and during the Ukrainian president’s trip to Washington, D.C., this week, those plans were confirmed. During a background press call on Tuesday, a senior White House official confirmed that President Joe Biden would announce the delivery of a new aid package worth almost $2 billion – since confirmed to be worth $1.85 billion – which would include Patriot missile systems. “President Biden will announce a significant new package of nearly $2 billion of security assistance for Ukraine. It will contain a very important new capability: a Patriot missile battery, which will be a critical asset to defend the Ukrainian people against Russia’s barbaric attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure,” the official said, adding that the U.S. military intends to train Ukrainian troops on how to operate the system in a third country.
“This will take some time, but Ukrainian troops will take that training back to their country to operate this battery.”The White House also confirmed that other forms of air defense will still be provided to Ukraine, including HAWKs, Stingers, NASAMS, and counter-UAV equipment.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin played down the threat of Patriot missiles and insisted that the delivery of new weapons to Ukraine would not stop Russia from achieving its military goals in Ukraine. Putin even argued that the Patriot system was “old” – a statement some might describe as ironic given Russia’s increasing reliance on decades-old ammunition.
“The Patriot air defence is outdated. An antidote will always be found … Russia will knock down the Patriot system,” Putin said.
