War in Ukraine: Selenskyj: Ukraine needs at least 25 Patriot systems

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reiterated his information on the minimum number of Patriot systems needed to protect the entire country. “In the opinion of our military, we need 25 Patriot systems to completely secure Ukraine,” he said at a press conference in Kyiv.

Zelensky avoided mentioning the number of Patriot systems already in existence. He also stressed that complex air defense systems with other ranges and capabilities are also necessary. He also recalled that at the recent NATO summit in Washington, Kiev was promised five additional Patriot batteries or comparable systems. A month ago, Zelensky said in Italy on the sidelines of the G7 summit that his country needed at least seven such systems.

Since the beginning of the war, Ukraine has received at least four Patriot systems, including three from Germany alone. According to media reports, however, several launch pads have been either destroyed or damaged by Russian air strikes. A complete system consisting of radar, antennas, fire control and command post and several launch pads costs the equivalent of several hundred million euros. The unit price for a modern anti-aircraft missile is, according to various sources, the equivalent of just over three million euros.

Ukraine has been fending off a Russian invasion with Western help since February 2022. The Ukrainian air defense system has been supplemented by modern systems, mainly from Germany. Nevertheless, the air defense system is regularly breached by Russian missiles and drones. Last Monday, for example, during a Russian attack on the capital Kyiv, a weapons factory near the center was hit by several missiles, according to media reports. One missile also hit a children’s hospital. At least 30 people were killed, according to authorities.