– Ukraine Demands 25 Patriot Batteries & More F-16s From Its Allies:
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, his country needs more missiles and fighter planes than promised to defend its airspace.
“In order to ensure the full protection of Ukraine, in the opinion of our soldiers, we need 25 Patriot systems,” the head of state stressed at a press conference in Kyiv.
However, Zelensky did not mention how many Patriot air defense systems Ukraine currently has. He claimed that his country needs other weapons systems of different ranges and capabilities for comprehensive air defense; he also noted that at the NATO summit in Washington, Ukraine’s allies had offered five additional Patriot systems with similar capabilities.
A month earlier, during the G7 summit in Italy, he had said that at least seven Patriot systems were needed. One Patriot battery costs $1 billion, while missiles are at least $3 million apiece.
Since the start of the war on Feb. 24, 2022, Ukraine has received at least four Patriot systems.
However, according to press reports, several launch sites have been damaged or destroyed by Russian air strikes.
As for the F-16 fighter jets, Zelensky said they would be delivered in two waves, in the summer and by the end of the year. However, the Ukrainian leader acknowledged that the fighter jets alone will not change the course of the war, given the much larger Russian air force.
Zelensky also said that Russia should attend the second international peace summit, for which a date has not yet been set, after Moscow was not represented at the first such meeting in Switzerland.
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