Ukrainian PM: Maintenance and missile supply for Patriot systems at risk without US support
Photo: Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine has all modern air defense systems and has created effective mobile fire teams to fight drones. But without US assistance, it will be critical to maintain and supply missiles to the Patriot, according to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
Using expensive missiles to destroy cheap drones is economically inexpedient, so Ukraine is looking for a balance in the war.
“It is impossible to shoot down a drone worth 30-40 thousand dollars with a missile that costs 1-3 million dollars. We are looking for ways to destroy a cheap product of a terrorist country inexpensively,” he said.
Mobile fire groups and electronic warfare (EW) equipment have become one of the solutions.
Shmyhal emphasized that Ukraine's partners supply not only the air defense systems but also missiles and ammunition for them.
“We have deliveries and relevant stocks from various partners,” he said, emphasizing that the US contribution remains significant, especially in the Patriot systems.
According to him, Patriot is currently the only system capable of effectively countering Russian ballistic missiles. It implies the main risk - providing Ukraine with the necessary number of systems, their repair, maintenance, and supply of ammunition.
“All other means used by Russia to terrorize Ukraine can be destroyed with the resources available in the country, as well as those provided by our partners,” Shmyhal summarized.
He said that as of yesterday, March 3, the US aid continued, and all of it scheduled under the Joe Biden administration was being delivered to Ukraine.
“As of yesterday evening, I have no information that anything was stopped, all the packages were going and as of yesterday evening, we were receiving all the aid. As of this morning, I have not yet coordinated with the Minister of Defense whether there have been any changes. If there were, I am sure he would have informed me,” the Prime Minister said.
Patriot for Ukraine
Last summer, during the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., the allies promised to provide Ukraine with Patriot. Former US President Joe Biden said that Ukraine was promised five long-range air defense systems.
Patriot systems play an important role in protecting Ukrainian skies. They are capable of shooting down Russian ballistic missiles. In general, Ukraine has only two types of systems that can shoot down ballistic missiles - Patriot and SAMP/T.
Trump has canceled aid to Ukraine
Today the White House confirmed that US President Donald Trump is suspending military aid to Ukraine after a clash with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Later, Fedir Venislavskyi, a member of the parliament's Defense Committee, told RBC-Ukraine that a negative scenario regarding the possible termination of US military aid to Ukraine was considered at a closed meeting of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence.
