- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said European allies had provided faulty air defense systems.
- He said Ukraine “must change again and again.” Zelensky did not specify which country provided it.
- Zelensky also said APs Ukraine is still waiting for the US Patriot system to be deployed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said European allies provided Ukraine with an incomplete air defense system, but did not say which country was responsible.
Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has received billions of dollars worth of security assistance from the West. This includes anti-armor systems, artillery weapons and rounds, and air defense systems.
Several countries are rushing to supply equipment, some of which were years old.
Ukraine “had to change over and over again” after one of the air defense systems provided by the European state failed, Zelensky said. Associated Press.
Zelensky also said that some of the weapons promised to his war-torn country have yet to materialize.
European countries Donate Billions of Dollars in Military Aid to Ukrainethe United Kingdom, Poland and Germany are the largest donors in the region.
Meanwhile, the United States has pledged its largest military aid to Ukraine to date.
But Zelensky said Ukraine is still waiting to receive the Patriot mobile surface-to-air missile and anti-ballistic missile system. Agreed to deliver in December as part of the $1.85 billion packages of additional military aid.
Ukrainian soldiers have been trained in the United States on how to use the Patriot system, Zelensky said, but the system has not yet been deployed in Ukraine.
“We’re making great decisions with the Patriots, but we haven’t really made any decisions,” he said.
Zelensky told The Associated Press that at least 20 Patriot batteries would be needed to protect Ukraine from Russian missiles. He also reiterated his longstanding demands for fighter jets, saying that Ukrainians “have nothing when it comes to modern fighter jets.”
A US defense official said last week that the US intends to accelerate the deployment of the Patriot system to Ukraine.
In December, Pentagon officials said at a press conference The provision of the Patriot system “will give Ukraine an important long-range capability to defend its airspace,” he said.
But officials warned that while the Patriot is capable, it is “not a silver bullet.”