The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine informed that the Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems will cover strategic and critical infrastructure facilities. It is not rational to use them against Russian S-300 missiles.
The spokesman of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yurii Ignat told about this on the air "Donbas.Realii" ["Donbas.Realities"].
"Patriotʼs primary task is, after all, against ballistics in order to maintain cover of our strategic objects in the state, critical infrastructure objects, and especially nuclear power plants, where the enemy has already hit. Not by the stations themselves, but by the substations that feed them," he noted.
According to him, the Russians have repeatedly hit substations — this is a threat to the operation of power units at the nuclear power plant. Therefore, here Ukraine gives a clear signal to the Western countries that this is also their security.
"If there is a need, there will be a serious threat and there will be an opportunity, yes, of course, a decision will be made to shoot down the S-300 missiles as well," Ignat explained.
But, in his opinion, it is more effective to destroy the S-300 launchers themselves than to fight missiles.
- On December 21, 2022, the United States announced a new military aid package for Ukraine, which includes a battery of Patriot air defense systems. In January, it became known that Germany will transfer an additional Patriot battery, the Netherlands — two more Patriot launchers. In January, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov stated that the Americans would train Ukrainian officers to operate the Patriot in 10 weeks.
- In mid-April, the first Patriot complexes arrived in Ukraine.