Kyiv (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for Ukraine to be given 25 Patriot air defence missiles from the United States to defend it from escalating Russian aerial attacks.
Following discussions with US President Donald Trump and some American weapons manufacturers, Zelensky spoke from Kyiv and said in comments published on Monday that “These are 25 systems that we need.” He also indicated that assets frozen from Russia in the west would be put toward the purchase of the systems.
The Ukrainian president also weighed in on the location for the upcoming conversations between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he would go if he was invited but does not think Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban,
“who blocks Ukraine everywhere, can do anything positive for Ukrainians or provide even a balanced contribution.”
How many Patriot systems has Ukraine secured so far?
In July, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy claimed that Ukraine had received confirmation from partners that they will provide funding for three Patriot missile defence systems and discussions were underway to finance seven more.
“I have officially received confirmation from Germany for two systems, and from Norway for one. We are currently working with Dutch partners,”
he told reporters.
US President Donald Trump also verified that the Patriot missile defence system will be sent to Ukraine to help it defend itself against Russia. There is, however, no confirmation on how many Patriot units, or any other US arms, will be sent.
Who manufactures the Patriot system and how does it work?
The MIM-104 Patriot is a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system produced by the U.S. defence and aerospace conglomerate Raytheon. The system was originally developed to shoot down high-altitude aircraft and was later redesigned in the 1980s to address the tactical threat of ballistic missiles.
Patriot batteries come in mobile systems that contain a command-and-staff vehicle, a radar station to acquire and determine the threat, and to launch the missile. In 2022, the U.S. think hotline Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimated the price of the system to be over $1 billion.
Raytheon has stated that it will continue to enhance the system day to 2048. Patriot batteries are currently able to defend against tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones, and aircraft which are elements of the type of airborne assets used by Russia to strike Ukraine.
As noted by the German military, the Patriot system can cover an area of approximately 68 kilometers (42 miles). With its radar, the Patriot system can track up to 50 targets while engaging 5 targets simultaneously. Depending on the version, interceptor missiles can reach an altitude of higher than 24 kilometers (14 miles) and engage targets out to a distance of 160 kilometers (100 miles).
