Germany will send an “additional” Patriot air defense system to kyiv to help protect itself against “increasing Russian airstrikes against Ukraine,” the German Defense Ministry announced on Saturday. The transfer begins immediately.
“Russian terror against Ukrainian cities and the country's infrastructure is causing immeasurable suffering,’ German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in announcing the decision. This is the third Patriot system that Berlin has supplied to the country. Ukraine has been asking its Western allies for more munitions and air defense systems for months. But aid is running out due to political blockages in Washington, forcing Ukrainian soldiers to save their ammunition. The Ukrainian president has warned that his country would lose the war if expected $60 billion in US aid remains blocked in Congress. The first copy of these Patriots was delivered to the Ukrainians in spring 2023, and Berlin has been supplying a wide range of other weaponry, from artillery to armored fighting vehicles. In addition to the Patriots, Berlin has, however, been criticized in recent months for refusing to authorize the supply of long-range Taurus missiles.