According to US-based CNN broadcasting, the US plans to send a Patriot missile defence system to Ukraine. Pentagon’s plan requires the approval of Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin before it is sent to President Joe Biden for his signature.
Ukraine has been calling for the US to send the advanced long-range air defence system that is seen as one of the few remedies to intercept ballistic and cruise missiles. It is unclear how many missile launchers will be sent. Once the plans are finalised, the Patriots are expected to ship quickly in the coming days, and Ukrainians will be trained to use them at a US Army base in Grafenwoehr, Germany, officials said.
Patriot missile batteries require many personnel to operate, and the training typically takes multiple months. In recent years, the US has sent Patriot missiles to Saudi Arabia and Iraq to counter threats posed by Iran and its proxies and to the Pacific region to deter North Korea.
