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Germany is in talks on buying MIM-104 Patriot long-range air defense systems for Ukraine, Reuters quoted a government spokesperson as saying on July 4.
“There are various ways to fill this Patriot gap,” the spokesperson told a news conference in Berlin, adding that one option being considered is buying the Patriot missile batteries in the United States and then sending them on to Kiev.
“I can confirm that intensive discussions are indeed being held on this matter,” he added.
Ukraine received eight Patriot batteries and additional launchers from the U.S., Germany and other NATO members over the last two years. The systems are a mix of PAC-2 and PAC-3. Most of these systems have already been damaged or destroyed by the Russian military.
Russian Air and Missile Defense Forces Commander Lieutenant General Andrey Semyonov criticized the performance of the Patriot in Ukraine in an article last year, going as far as saying that the system even failed to protect itself. The recent strikes on Odessa confirmed this.
The system faced more criticism online recently, as its failed missiles were blamed for casualties and material losses in Kiev.
To make for the losses, it was announced earlier this year that Ukraine will receive two additional batteries, one from either Germany or Greece and another from Israel after refurbishment in the U.S.
A Patriot system costs around $1,1 billion. A single PAC-3 missile costs some $7 million and a PAC-2 missile could cost up to $4 million, depending on the version.
The German announcement came after reports revealed earlier this week that the U.S. had halted some military supplies to Ukraine, including Patriot missiles. The Pentagon said that the partial pause was intended to preserve the U.S. “military readiness and defense priorities.”
While the pruches of additional Patriots will not have any impact on the battlefield in Ukraine, Germany’s move reveals a shift in the U.S. which apparently wants to charge Kiev and its European allies for military supplies from now on.
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