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Bloomberg: US considers sending additional Patriot battery to Ukraine, sources say

2 min read
Bloomberg: US considers sending additional Patriot battery to Ukraine, sources say
Two of the Patriot systems deployed at the German Air and Missile Defense Task Force (PATRIOT) contingent are facing east. German Defense Minister Pistorius visited the deployment site in the afternoon in Zamosc, Poland, 3 July 2023. (Soeren Stache/picture alliance via Getty Images)

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is working to supply Ukraine with an additional Patriot air defense battery to help the country repel Russian aerial attacks, Bloomberg reported on May 15, citing undisclosed sources.

Washington aims to send a single battery along with radars, with the costs likely to be covered by the recently passed $61-billion aid package, the outlet wrote.

Kyiv has been urging its partners to send additional air defense systems as Russia intensifies its strikes against Ukrainian population centers and infrastructure.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine would need 25 Patriot systems or their equivalents to protect the whole country.

Skynex: The German drone destroyer reinforcing Ukraine’s air defense

When U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kyiv on May 14, Zelensky told him that his country requires two Patriots to protect only Kharkiv Oblast, which has been a target of a renewed onslaught by Russian forces.

Kyiv is believed to operate at least three Patriot systems and associated equipment provided by the U.S., Germany, and the Netherlands. Berlin pledged in April to send one additional system.

Ukraine should receive another IRIS-T system from Germany in May.

European allies are also working on plans to send additional air defenses to Ukraine, Bloomberg's sources said.

The Italian news outlet La Repubblica reported on May 2 that Italy is preparing to supply Ukraine with an additional SAMP/T air defense system as part of its upcoming package.

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Martin Fornusek

Reporter

Martin Fornusek is a reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in international and regional politics, history, and disinformation. Based in Lviv, Martin often reports on international politics, with a focus on analyzing developments related to Ukraine and Russia. His career in journalism began in 2021 after graduating from Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, earning a Master's degree in Conflict and Democracy Studies. Martin has been invited to speak on Times Radio, France 24, Czech Television, and Radio Free Europe. He speaks English, Czech, and Ukrainian.

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