The United States will provide Ukraine with an additional Patriot missile system, senior administration and military officials told the New York Times on June 11.
The decision, approved by President Joe Biden, comes in response to Ukraine's urgent plea for enhanced air defenses amid a fierce Russian assault on the northeastern Kharkiv Oblast. This will be the second Patriot system supplied by the U.S. to Ukraine, alongside a routine but undisclosed supply of missiles for the system.
Biden’s decision reportedly came last week, according to the officials, after a series of high-level meetings and an internal debate over how to meet Ukraine’s pressing needs for bolstered air defense without jeopardizing U.S. combat readiness. Other allies, including Germany, have also contributed air defense systems and munitions to support Ukraine.
Officials stated that the new Patriot system, the second one the United States is sending to Ukraine, will be sourced from Poland, where it has been safeguarding a rotational force of American troops set to return to the United States. The system could be deployed to Ukraine's front lines within the next few days, contingent upon any required maintenance or modifications.
In April, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that "to cover Ukraine completely in the future, it is preferable to have 25 Patriot systems, with 6-8 batteries each." All the international partners are aware of Ukraine's need for air defense systems, Zelensky said, adding that some of the allies even know where systems must be set.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
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