European allies have finally collected all the necessary pieces of the puzzle, but the timing of sending an additional air defense system to Ukraine is still unknown.
To protect its territory from airstrikes and missile attacks of the Russian Federation, Ukraine urgently needs to strengthen its air defense system. At the initiative of the Netherlands, European allies decided to assemble another Patriot battery from spare parts that were collected across the continent. And finally, the puzzle is complete.
The New York Times writes about this.
The publication notes that the radar and three missile launchers will be transferred by the Netherlands. The supply of interceptor missiles will be provided by a coalition of four countries led by Germany. There is also already an agreement to provide a mobile fire control center, but information about the donor country has not yet been disclosed.
“Additional missiles and launchers, as well as training for Ukrainians to use the complex system, will be provided by eight countries,” the authors of the article write.
It is known that in the last few months the allies have been analyzing their stockpiles and looking for a way to increase assistance to Ukraine. Finally, the Dutch proposal to assemble a complete Patriot air defense system from parts available from different countries turned out to be the most realistic, although it seemed too creative and unreliable.
“We have everything pieces of the puzzle. We just need to put them together… We all have limited capabilities, I think we can do it,” said the former head of the Dutch Ministry of Defense, Kajsa Ollongren, who initiated the plan after Ukraine’s request for more. seven Patriot batteries.
She admitted that some effort would have to be made to ensure that all parts of the system worked harmoniously, but this problem would no doubt be solved. Ollongren noted that the Netherlands has already created a team of technical experts who will check the compatibility of all found Patriot parts by visiting each donor country.
It is not yet known when Ukraine will receive an air defense system assembled “from around the world.” Ollongren also suggests that the found parts of the battery could go to Ukraine separately to repair those systems already used by the Defense Forces.
Recall that the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba said that Kyiv and Washington have coordinated steps to supply Patriot. At the meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State James O'Brien, they also discussed joint efforts to provide Ukraine with additional weapons and ammunition.
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