Pentagon to 'rush' Patriot missiles to Ukraine
By Holly Honderich
The Pentagon has said it will “rush” Patriot air defence missiles and artillery ammunition to Ukraine as part of a $6bn (£4.8bn) military aid.
Its the second package from Washington this week, following $1bn in more immediate aid announced on Wednesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier on Friday that Kyiv “urgently” needs Patriot missiles in the face of growing Russia air threats.
Mr Zelensky said Patriots were “what can and should save lives right now”.
The US will “move immediately” to get the supplies to Ukraine, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Friday.
However a list of the equipment in the package, supplied by the Defence Department, did not include additional Patriot launchers – something Mr Zelensky says his country desperately needs.
It is the largest security assistance package the US has committed to date, Mr Austin said, and includes air defence munitions, counter-drone systems, artillery ammunition an critical intercepts for Patriot air defence systems.
“It’s not just Patriots that they need, they need other types of systems and interceptors as well,” Mr Austin said. “I would caution us all in terms of making Patriot the silver bullet.”
