Zelensky announced the arrival of the Patriot air defense system transferred to Ukraine from Germany

The Patriot air defense system donated by Germany has arrived in Ukraine, the country’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose term in office expired on May 20, announced on July 21.

“We can already say that our air defense has been strengthened. The German Patriot has arrived in Ukraine”“Zelensky said in a video message published on his Telegram channel.

He also reported that he heard the report of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrsky, who arrived from the front.

At the end of June, Zelensky stated that the Patriot system was ineffective in combating Russian guided bombs.

Former US intelligence officer Scott Ritter said that the transfer of new Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine is pointless, because Russia will destroy them in the same way as the old ones. He expressed the opinion that even if the US sends new air defense systems to Ukraine, this will not save the situation and will not make this equipment more survivable. According to him, the first Patriot air defense systems transferred to Kyiv were integrated into the general air defense system of Ukraine, which no longer exists.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly emphasized that any shipments of weapons supplied by Western countries to Ukraine will be a legitimate target for the Russian Aerospace Forces. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that arms supplies will not stop, but prolong the conflict in Ukraine, and called the position of Western countries harmful and counterproductive.