US finalizing plans to send Patriot missile systems to Ukraine: Report
The United States is reportedly finalizing plans to send Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, going against a warning by Russia against deployment of the weapons to the ex-Soviet republic, where Moscow is waging a war.
Reuters news agency carried the report on Tuesday, citing three US officials.
Two of the officials said the decision to send the missile systems could be announced "as early as Thursday," noting that the announcement was awaiting the approval of Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin and President Joe Biden.
Earlier in December, Politico cited the giant US weapons manufacturer Raytheon that produces the Patriot systems, as saying that Washington looked to shift its missile systems from the Middle East to Ukraine.
A typical Patriot battery includes a radar set that detects and tracks targets, computers, power generating equipment, an engagement control station and up to eight launchers, each holding four ready to fire missiles.
Once the plans are finalized, 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.
Previously, the US has sent Patriot batteries to NATO allies like Poland as a way to “bolster their defenses.”
Russia's war on Ukraine started in late February with Moscow saying that it was aimed at defending the pro-Russian population in the eastern Ukrainian regions of Luhansk and Donetsk against persecution by Kiev.
Ever since the beginning of the war, Ukraine's Western allies, led by the US, have been pumping up advanced weapons to Ukraine and slapping Russia with a slew of sanctions, steps Moscow says will only prolong the conflict.
Last month, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev warned the US-led military alliance of NATO against providing Ukraine with the Patriot batteries, describing the alliance as a "criminal entity" for its delivering arms to, what he called "extremist regimes". It is likely Moscow will view the missile support as an escalation.
"If...NATO were to supply the Ukrainian fanatics with Patriot systems along with NATO personnel, they would immediately become a legitimate target of our armed forces," Medvedev said.
Occupied US bases in eastern Syria hit by rocket fire
White House split over Biden’s 'horrific' Israel policy: Report
US aircraft carrier leaving Red Sea after Yemen's retaliatory missile, drone attacks
Pezeshkian to US, Europeans: You are killing women, children
VIDEO | COP29: another climate failure?
ICC issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant for war crimes
Israeli strikes kill 88 Palestinians in northern Gaza
American voters plainly rejected complicity in Gaza genocide: Iran FM spox
ICC should issue more arrest warrants for Israeli authorities over Gaza genocide: UN expert
Israel using AI weapons co-produced by India in Gaza genocide: Report
Israel issues new evacuation orders, shortly launches strikes on southern Lebanon
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
