Patriot surface-to-air missiles have arrived in Ukraine and will give the country a shield against Russia’s devastating airstrikes, its defence minister has said.
The American-made weapons will provide Kyiv with long-sought new protection against Vladimir Putin’s army, which has targeted cities and the Ukraine power grid from the air.
“Today, our beautiful Ukrainian sky becomes more secure,” defence minister Oleksii Reznikov said.
The US agreed last year to send the surface-to-air systems, which can target aircraft, cruise missiles and shorter-range ballistic missiles such as those that Russia has used to bombard residential areas and Ukrainian power stations.
The missiles are the latest contribution from Western allies, who have also pledged tanks, artillery and some types of fighter jets as Ukraine gears up for an expected counter-offensive.
Mr Reznikov thanked the United States, Germany and the Netherlands for the latest military supplies.
But he did not specify how many missile systems had been delivered or when they arrived. It came as Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg today paid his first visit to Kyiv since Russia’s invasion began last February.
In a show of support for Ukraine he paid his respects to Ukrainian soldiers who have been killed fighting and reviewed damaged Russian military equipment displayed in Kyiv.
Mr Stoltenberg has been the strong voice of the alliance throughout the year-long war and has been instrumental in garnering and co-ordinating support by Nato’s 31 members for the embattled nation as it seeks to hold on to its territory. Earlier this week the Kremlin said Putin visited Moscow-controlled parts of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, and had attended a meeting to hear reports from military commanders.
Mr Putin also reportedly visited Ukraine’s Luhansk region. Russia claims to have annexed both regions.
Meanwhile, a mysterious flash of light that lit up the skies over Kyiv sparked alarm but the Ukrainian air force, which aims to bring down missiles and drones fired by Russia, later said a satellite plunging from orbit or a meteorite could be responsible.
