US-made Patriot missile systems arrive in Ukraine
- The missiles provide a new shield against Russian air strikes, but their high cost makes them less suited for use against the cheap drones deployed by Moscow
- Western allies have also pledged tanks, artillery and some types of fighter aircraft as Ukraine gears up for an expected counteroffensive
American-made Patriot missiles have arrived in Ukraine, the country’s defence minister said, providing Kyiv with a long-sought new shield against the Russian air strikes that have devastated cities and civilian infrastructure.
The US agreed in October to send the surface-to-air systems, which can target aircraft, cruise missiles and shorter-range ballistic missiles such as those that Russia has used to bombard residential areas and the Ukrainian power grid.
“Today, our beautiful Ukrainian sky becomes more secure,” Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said in a tweet on Wednesday.
The missiles are the latest contribution from Western allies, who have also pledged tanks, artillery and some types of fighter aircraft as Ukraine gears up for an expected counteroffensive.
Reznikov thanked the United States, Germany and the Netherlands, without saying how many missile systems had been delivered or when they arrived.
Ukrainian air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said late Tuesday that delivery of the systems would be a landmark event, allowing Ukrainians to knock out Russian targets at a greater distance.
