Germany has sent two Patriot air-defense systems to Ukraine, after Kyiv upped its calls for help to fend off Russian missile barrages.
The latest figures from the German defense ministry show that two Patriot systems have been delivered to Ukraine. In his nightly address on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv had received "good news from Germany – exactly what we agreed upon with [German Chancellor] Olaf Scholz."
"It will definitely save thousands of lives of our people," Zelensky said. "It will definitely bring us closer to creating a full-fledged sky shield for Ukraine."
The first U.S.-made Patriots, manufactured by defense giant Raytheon Technologies, arrived in Ukraine in April 2023. Kyiv's defense minister, Oleksii Reznikov, described the systems as a "dream," adding at the time: "Our beautiful Ukrainian sky becomes more secure because Patriot air defense systems have arrived in Ukraine."
Ukraine had already received at least two Patriot systems, including one sent by the U.S. The other known Patriot system in Ukraine was sent jointly by Germany and The Netherlands.
Russia has targeted Ukraine with waves of missile and drone strikes, including with its hypersonic Kinzhal, or "Dagger," missile. But in early May, Kyiv said it had successfully "brought down the 'unparalleled' Dagger," and a Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson then told Ukrainian media that a Patriot system was responsible.
The Pentagon confirmed on May 9 that Ukraine "did down a Russian missile by employing the Patriot missile defense system," later specifying it was a Kinzhal missile. The British defense ministry called this the "first ever shoot-down" of the Kinzhal. Touted by Russia as an invincible missile, Ukraine frequently reports shooting down the Kinzhal, also known by its NATO moniker, Killjoy.
In mid-June, Raytheon's chief executive officer said the company had been "very surprised at its effectiveness," adding that Kyiv would receive another five Patriot systems by the end of 2024.
Ahead of, and during, the ongoing counteroffensive against Russian forces in southern and eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian officials have called for stronger air defenses, and placed ammunition, artillery supplies and Western jets high up on its military aid wish list.
"Every day, every week, we work to ensure that our defenders of the sky have more air defense systems and missiles for them," Zelensky said, during his Wednesday evening address. "Tomorrow I will continue this work, trying my best to provide more protection for the sky."
All of Ukrainian territory needs many "more air defense systems than we have now," he added.
On Sunday, Zelensky praised the Patriot and the IRIS-T air-defense system, calling them "powerful systems" and "very effective" tools.
