“Today, our beautiful Ukrainian sky becomes more secure because Patriot air defense systems have arrived in Ukraine,” Reznikov tweeted, adding that Germany, the US, and the Netherlands all “kept their word.”
The arrival of the air defense system marks an important milestone for Ukraine as it prepares for an impending spring counteroffensive. Moreover, bolster interception efforts against the ongoing Russian bombardments across Kyiv, reportedly up to 20 guided bombs daily.
“Patriots” for patriots
Do you know how to visualize a dream? We must tell about it to the world and give it life! This is exactly what happened with the Patriots, even before the large-scale war, even before my appointment to the most important position of my life at the most… pic.twitter.com/m6H63erV6Z
— Oleksii Reznikov (@oleksiireznikov) April 19, 2023
Both the US and Germany and later the Netherlands, approved lending each of its Patriot air defense systems to further strengthen Ukraine’s defense against Russian strikes, especially after the attack against Kyiv’s energy infrastructure late last year.
Following the announcement, Karl Mueller, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, explained that the PATRIOT would provide a more versatile and capable defense system compared to other Western systems sent into the battlefield in Ukraine—not to mention its anti-ballistic missile capabilities that Russia might use to bombard the war-torn nation.
“Unlike the other Western systems that have been provided to Ukraine, (Patriot) has some anti-ballistic missile capabilities (depending on the type of missile being used),” Mueller told AFP News last December.
He added that if Russia were to obtain a substantial amount of ballistic missiles from Iran, as many experts have predicted, most of Ukraine’s existing air defense systems would be unable to counter them effectively.
But with its arrival, the PATRIOT is expected to provide a significant advantage to the Ukrainian forces by reducing the impact of missile attacks, especially on critical infrastructure and military assets. Likewise serve as a shield for the civilian population in the hot zones from missile attacks, thereby reducing the overall impact caused by Russian invaders.
Ukrainian troops also received the necessary training on effectively operating the advanced air defense system from the US.
Earlier this year, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters that selected Ukrainian troops flew into Fort Sill in Oklahoma to undergo training that will prepare “approximately 90 to 100 soldiers to operate, maintain, and sustain the defense system.”
By mid-March, the Ukrainian troops surprisingly accomplished the training course US officials and instructors had expected to run for several months.
“Our military deploys a Patriot battery in 40 to 45 minutes,” said an American instructor who trained the 65 graduating Ukrainian troops. “Ukrainians manage it in 25. They do a great job. They are very optimistic, considering the situation at home.”
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