Germany To Send Additional Patriot Air and Missile Defense System To Ukraine
On April 13, the German Ministry of Defense (Bundesministerium der Verteidigung) announced in a post on its X account that the Berlin government would send another MIM-104 Patriot air and missile defense system to Ukraine in response to the recent increase in Russian bombardments. Germany’s new commitment comes after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged all international partners to help meet Kyiv’s air defense requirements in light of recent Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the following in his statement regarding the latest military support provided to the Ukrainian Armed Forces: “Russian terror against Ukrainian cities and the country’s infrastructure is causing immeasurable suffering. It threatens the energy resources of the population and destroys industrial facilities important for the operational readiness of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. That’s why we’re supporting Ukraine with another Patriot unit. By supporting Ukraine, we are going as far as possible in operational readiness.”
According to a statement from the German Ministry of Defense, the promised Patriot system will be delivered to Ukraine “immediately” from Bundeswehr stocks, in addition to the air defense systems that have already been delivered and are planned. The German Federal Government previously donated two Patriot air defense system batteries (with spare parts) and two Patriot launch stations from its own inventory to Ukraine. Last month, Germany signed a $1.2 billion contract with Raytheon subsidiary RTX for four MIM-104 Patriot batteries in the PAC-3MSE configuration to fill the gap left by Patriot systems donated to Ukraine’s Armed Forces. According to the contract, the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) will receive the first system in 2027 and the final system in 2029.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for the decision to provide Ukraine with additional Patriot systems. Noting that Ukraine is negotiating with Germany to acquire additional IRIS-T systems and missiles in addition to Patriot systems, Zelenskyy urged all other international partners to follow suit. The President also stated that Germany’s assistance could save thousands of lives and further protect Ukraine from Russian terrorism.
Aside from Germany, Ukraine has received or will receive one Patriot battery from the United States and two Patriot launchers from the Netherlands since the outbreak of the war. Ukraine is believed to have three full Patriot batteries and four additional launchers. However, President Zelenskyy believes Ukraine’s modern air defense systems, such as Patriot, are insufficient to defend against Russian attacks. Zelenskyy believes that 25 Patriot systems, each with 6-8 batteries, are required to fully cover Ukraine.
In an interview with The Washington Post on April 10, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated that he and his team had identified 100 Patriot systems located around the world. Kuleba stated that they have identified four European and Asian countries with Patriot systems that can be sent to Ukraine immediately, noting that some neighboring countries use multiple Patriot systems to protect a single airfield. Noting that Ukraine’s current priority is to acquire seven more Patriots, the foreign minister also stated that they are attempting to persuade countries that have these systems, particularly the United States.
It’s unclear when Ukraine’s pursuit of the Patriot air defense system will be fulfilled, given long-running disagreements in the US Congress over an aid package for Ukraine and declining Western military support compared to the first phase of the war. It appears inevitable that Russia, which has seized a great opportunity in the midst of this search, will escalate its attacks on civilian infrastructure in the coming days.