Third German Patriot system arrives in Ukraine
Russia attacks civilian objects in Ukraine and deliberately destroys power plants. The authorities are required to regularly shut down the power. A third Patriot system from Germany is now supposed to improve protection - this is not enough according to President Zelenskyy.
Germany has delivered the third promised Patriot air defense system to Ukraine, according to the German ambassador to Kiev, Martin Jaeger. "The third Patriot air defense system from Germany has arrived in Ukraine," Jaeger wrote on X. It will help "improve the protection of the population and infrastructure," the diplomat added.
Berlin had announced the delivery of a third Patriot system in April. Ukraine has repeatedly urged its western allies to do more for the air defense of the country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently demanded seven Patriot systems for the defense of his country.
More than two years after the start of Russia's armed attack against Ukraine, rocket attacks and drone attacks have significantly limited Ukraine's capacity for power generation. Kiev is therefore forced to regularly order power outages and import electricity from the European Union. Since the beginning of the war, Germany has become the second largest weapons supplier to Ukraine, after the USA.
In addition to Patriot systems, Berlin has sent a wide range of other weapons, from artillery to armored personnel carriers. The delivery of further air defense systems is expected to be a major topic at the NATO summit in Washington next week.
- Despite Germany delivering a third Patriot air defense system, President Zelenskyy of Ukraine believes it's not sufficient to fully protect against Russia's attacks.
- The Ukraine conflict continues to see deliberate attacks on civilian objects, including power plants, causing the authorities to frequently shut down power.
- Ukraine has consistently appealed to its Western allies, including Germany, to provide more support for its air defense, as the country's capacity for power generation is significantly affected by ongoing rocket attacks and drone attacks.
- The arrival of the third Patriot air defense system in Kiev, sponsored by Germany, is aimed at improving the defense of Ukraine's population and infrastructure, following Berlin's April announcement.
- Volodymyr Selenskyy, the Ukrainian president, has recently requested seven Patriot systems from Western allies to bolster Ukraine's defense against Russia's attack, marking Germany as the second-largest weapons supplier to Ukraine since the war's beginning.
