Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the arrival of new Patriot systems to bolster the country’s air defenses. He added that Kyiv will keep working with partners to expand its air-defense capabilities.
Zelensky thanked Germany and Chancellor Merz for a “joint step to protect lives from Russian terror,” the president said in a statement.
According to Zelensky, airstrikes by Russia’s forces are President Vladimir Putin’s main bet to compensate for the “inability to achieve his insane goals on the ground.” Strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses “literally brings us closer to ending the war” and will reduce Russia’s gains, he said.
“Together with our partners, we continue working to build a reliable air-defense system. And our capabilities will be able to guarantee the security not only of Ukraine, but also of our partners when needed,” the president emphasized.
He said further negotiations on delivering additional air defense systems are ongoing, with consultations continuing both with national governments and directly with system manufacturers.
Earlier, Focus reported that the United States will purchase Patriot interceptors for a record sum. The U.S. Army signed the largest contract in its history to produce Patriot PAC-3 missiles for air and missile defense.
It later emerged that Ukraine needs 25 additional Patriot systems. That number reflects the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but deliveries will depend on the production queue for other countries.
