The United States and its allies have announced the delivery of five additional air defense systems to Ukraine, including Patriot missile batteries and components, according to a joint statement issued during the NATO summit. The statement also mentioned plans to supply Ukraine with numerous tactical air defense systems in the upcoming months. Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
Washington, Ukraine's primary supporter, has allocated over $50 billion in military aid since 2022. However, US military aid faced delays in Congress during the winter, prompting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to express concerns that a lack of weapons was favoring Russia. Despite largely static battle lines since the conflict's early stages, Moscow has recently gained ground in eastern Ukraine. Zelensky has been urging Western governments to accelerate and increase military support to Kyiv's forces.
In April, US legislation approved $61 billion in funding for Ukraine. Zelensky recently stated his goal to double Ukraine's air defense capabilities by summer. The announcement was made by President Joe Biden at the NATO summit, with a subsequent joint statement from leaders of the US, the Netherlands, Romania, Italy, Germany, and Ukraine detailing the additional strategic air defense systems being provided, including Patriot batteries and components from various countries.
Ukraine has consistently requested enhanced air defense support from its partners due to ongoing Russian attacks on cities and energy infrastructure. Recently, Russia targeted Kyiv's main children's hospital with a missile and launched widespread missile attacks across Ukraine, resulting in at least 41 civilian deaths in one of the most lethal series of air strikes in months. Moscow denies targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, despite numerous civilian casualties since the start of its offensive.
