As a part of $6bn additional package deal between the United States and Ukraine, Patriot Air Defence missile systems will be supplied shortly. The package is the second aid in this week, after US President Joe Biden signed the new funding bill for Ukraine.
This new deal includes NASAMS (National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems) which will add new gear for the Ukraine’s existing weaponry. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on friday held a meeting with a coalition of 50 countries and insisted on the need for Patriots. Zelenskyy emphasized that at least 7 Patriot systems are needed to protect Ukrainian cities from Russian attacks.
In a statement Zelenskyy said –
We urgently need Patriot systems and missiles for them,
This is what can and should save lives right now.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that millions of rounds of ammunition, rocket systems, armoured vehicles and jets were supplied to Ukraine since April 2022. At a Pentagon news conference, Austin said –
It’s not just Patriots that they need, they need other types of systems and interceptors as well,
I would caution us all in terms of making Patriot the silver bullet.
Mr Austin told a news conference that the US was committing to its largest security assistance package to date.
At the same time, request by Austin to the allied nations have been negative regarding the supply of Patriot Air Defense Syatems to Ukraine. They believed that they need them for their own defence.
On Saturday, Ukraine said Russia had carried out another massive air attack with cruise missiles, S-300 surface-to-air missiles and Iskander ballistic missiles which damaged a hospital and Energy facilities in 3 regions. Russian authorities said on Saturday they had shot down some 68 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory.
Ukraine claimed to have hit two Russian oil refineries across the border which caused a large explosion.