Ukraine requests supply of Patriot missile systems from the US
Ukraine has asked the United States to provide Patriot air defense systems, CNN reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
Military aid to Ukraine
Earlier, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby noted that the Ukrainian military would receive a shipment of small arms and ammunition - the final part of the $60 million military aid approved by US President Joe Biden this year. The US provides Ukraine with a variety of weapons and equipment, including patrol boats and Javelin anti-tank missile systems.
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"Ukrainian officials are also asking the United States to provide air defense systems, such as Patriot (SAM) systems," the channel said in a report.
Conflict in Donbass
In April 2014, the Ukrainian government launched a military operation against the self-proclaimed LNR and DNR, which declared independence after the coup in Kiev in February 2014. According to the latest UN figures, about 13,000 people have become victims of this conflict. The settlement of the situation in Donbass is being discussed at the meetings of the Minsk contact group, which since September 2014 has adopted three documents stipulating steps aimed at de-escalating the conflict. However, even with ceasefire agreements between the conflicting parties, shootings continue there.
The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that Kiev has sent half of the entire personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to Donbass. Moscow expressed concern about the transfer of military equipment from NATO countries to the Russian border and the increase in the number of Western military instructors in Donbass. Western countries continue to provide military assistance to Ukraine, including the supply of weapons for use in Donbass.
