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Yesterday, Sunday [July 7], the Dutch Foreign Minister, Caspar Feltkamp, and Defense Minister, Ruben Brekelmans, reaffirmed their pledge to provide Ukraine with the Patriot air defense system in a meeting with the head of Ukrainian diplomacy, Dmytro Kuleba.
Although the delivery was initially announced by the previous Dutch government in June, no specific timeline was given. Currently, it is believed that Ukraine has five such systems. Additionally, Romania has indicated it might consider supplying another array.
Ukraine is hopeful for further air defense commitments at the upcoming NATO summit in Washington. There’s also potential for up to six Patriot batteries to be delivered by Israel. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is advocating for at least seven systems to safeguard cities like Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhia, and especially Odesa.
Kyiv-Moscow
In early June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shared that Kyiv had reached agreements with Western nations to receive additional air defense systems. However, he kept the exact numbers and specific details under wraps. Ukrainian officials frequently voice their concerns about the shortage of air defense systems and missiles, consistently appealing to their Western allies for new supplies.
Conversely, Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly emphasized that delivering new weapons to Ukraine will not change the front-line situation. Instead, he believes it will merely prolong the conflict. Supporting this view, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov declared that any weapon shipments to Kyiv would be considered legitimate targets by Russia.
‘Only for Ukraine’
Back in June, the United States made the critical decision to pause the delivery of Patriot interceptor missiles. This action, as highlighted by U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, was driven by the urgent need to supply these missiles to Ukraine.
So, what does this mean for nations currently relying on Patriot systems? As reported by ZeroHedge, Kirby noted, “This will impact allies depending on the U.S. for Patriot missiles.” The missiles, which are not currently in production, will be redirected to Ukraine. This decision also encompasses missiles for another system employed by Kyiv, the NASAMS.
Kirby mentioned that these missiles are anticipated to reach Ukraine within the next few weeks, certainly before the end of summer. This timeline aligns with the arrival of U.S.-made F-16s capable of carrying AMRAAMs. Kirby assured that Taiwan would not be affected by this decision. Concerns are mounting about the U.S. missile stockpile, particularly given their extensive use in Ukraine and against Houthi drones in the Red Sea. The choice to send more missiles to Ukraine could imply that the U.S. might be operating with limited reserves.
Two Patriot launchers destroyed?
On July 7, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that missiles from the Iskander mobile short-range ballistic missile system successfully destroyed two launchers of the American-made Patriot anti-aircraft system, which had been delivered to Ukraine. They also released footage showing the alleged destruction of the Patriot air defense systems in the Odessa region.
A day earlier, on July 6, Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk refuted these claims made by the Russian Federation. His statement came after Russian reconnaissance drone videos allegedly showed missile strikes on Dolgintseve Airport in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region, and a Patriot air defense system base near Yuzhne in the Odessa region.
Regarding Yuzhne in Odessa Oblast, Russian pro-military Telegram channels released footage of an Iskander strike near Yuzhne on July 6, asserting that they had destroyed two Patriot batteries and a Giraffe radar system. Oleshchuk shared this footage on his Telegram channel, mentioning that Ukrainian Air Force personnel had “successfully conducted passive defense measures.”
Source: bulgarianmilitary.com