Ukraine Gets Patriot Missile Systems Boost From NATO Ally

Ukraine will receive an additional advanced Patriot air defense system in the coming weeks, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Tuesday, as Ukraine contends with persistent aerial bombardment from Russia and gaps in protection from incoming missiles and drones.

Berlin will deliver the Patriot system along with Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns and an IRIS-T air defense system, the German leader said in remarks reported by Ukraine's presidential office.

In mid-April, Germany pledged the third Patriot system for Ukraine after intense Russian bombardment forced Ukraine to double down on its increasingly desperate search for ground-based air defenses. Statements from Berlin say that only two Patriots have arrived in the country so far.

The Raytheon-designed Patriot is a surface-to-air system designed to shoot down ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as aircraft and drones, from long distances.

Russia is dropping up to 100 guided aerial bombs, which are highly destructive and accurate weapons, on Ukraine every day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday. Kyiv's frustration with the sluggish pace of air defense deliveries from its Western allies has been evident, even as pressing questions about NATO countries' own air defense coverage have come up.

"Give us the damn Patriots," Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told Politico in late March.

In pointed remarks posted to social media the following month, Zelensky said the Patriots "can only be called air-defense systems if they work and save lives rather than standing immobile somewhere in storage bases."

"'Patriots need to be in Ukrainian hands right now," he added.

Zelensky has said Ukraine needs "at least" seven Patriot systems to shield the country's major cities. He has previously lobbied for 25 Patriot systems, with up to eight batteries each, "to cover Ukraine completely."

"Germany is a global leader in helping us with air defense," the Ukrainian leader said. "Thank you for the Patriots, IRIS-Ts and other systems."

Germany has been one of the most vocal advocates for beefing up Ukraine's air defense capabilities. Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Berlin was considering pledging a fourth Patriot battery to Kyiv, citing sources familiar with discussions.

Kyiv received donations from the U.S., Germany and the Netherlands, and at least one battery has been damaged, although it is believed to have been promptly repaired.

Kyiv has used its Patriots to take out a slew of Russian aircraft, according to Ukraine's military. The systems are credited with intercepting a number of Russia's supposedly unstoppable Kinzhal missiles, which the Kremlin has described as hypersonic weapons.

Earlier this month, a senior U.S. military official said Ukraine used a Patriot system to shoot down a valuable Russian surveillance aircraft at the start of the year.

The U.S.-made system was responsible for the downing of a Russian A-50 early warning and control system (AWACS) plane in January, according to Colonel Rosanna Clemente, the assistant chief of staff of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command.

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