Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Washington DC is to announce another tranche of aid to his country, but overwhelming focus is the announcement that the U.S. will supply PATRIOT air defense missiles to Ukraine.
on Dec. 19, but their vulnerability to most air defense platforms means that PATRIOTs would not necessarily have to intercept them if less expensive systems can engage.
Moscow also has some choice words for the PATRIOT. Russian officials are constantly threatening to strike PATRIOTs should they be sent. Nearly a month ago, former Russian President Dimitry Medyedevthat PATRIOT batteries in Ukraine would “immediately become a legitimate target of our armed forces.” A single PATRIOT battery is not a silver bullet, but Ukraine is short of air defense. While attacks on Kyiv are mostly intercepted, other Ukrainian cities are much more vulnerable. If a PATRIOT battery frees up other air defense systems to protect places like Odessa or the front line, that is extraordinarily valuable. As more Ukrainians are trained on the system, it also opens the door to providing more as the war progresses.
The Franco-Italian missile system has gotten nowhere near as much press or threats from Russia, likely because Russia is focused on U.S. policy towards Ukraine, and because the PATRIOT is fielded by half a dozen NATO allies. If Ukraine proves that it can operate U.S.-supplied PATRIOTs effectively, non-U.S. PATRIOT operators might consider supplying replacement parts or more interceptors.
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