German Chancellor Scholz Announces Deployment of Second Patriot System in Ukraine This Year
13 December, 2023 Patriot air defense system of the German Air Force. Photo credits: Luftwaffe The second Patriot air defense system, which Germany has promised to transfer to Kyiv, will be launched in Ukraine this year.
The German Chancellor announced this on Wednesday, December 13, 2023 in the Bundestag. Scholz noted that Ukraine's ability to defend itself against Russian drones and missiles has improved. He added that a second Patriot air defense system provided by Germany will be deployed in Ukraine this year.
He also said that armored vehicles, ammunition, and sets of winter clothing will be provided to the Ukrainian armed forces, as well as power generators, to overcome the electricity shortage.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Berlin, May 14, 2023. Photo credits: Office of the President
"All this is extremely necessary. Because Russia has now completely put its economy at the service of this war.
Russian arms production is working at full capacity," the German chancellor said. Back in October, the German Defense Ministry announced that it would send additional Patriot and IRIS-T systems to Ukraine, but did not specify the time frame for their delivery. In November, the German ambassador to Kyiv, Martin Jager, said that another Patriot air defense system from Germany would be deployed in Ukraine in the winter.
Germany has also trained a second group of Ukrainian soldiers to operate the Patriot air defense system. The training course for about 70 soldiers and officers lasted more than six weeks. From now on, the Ukrainian military can operate the Patriot air defense system independently.
Training of Ukrainians in Germany on the Patriot air defense system, 2023.
Photo credits: Special Training Command
The training program was attended by experienced Ukrainian officers with years of service in air defense units. Many of the Ukrainian soldiers had experience with the Soviet-era S-300 surface-to-air missile system. As previously reported, Ukraine received the first Patriot SAM from Germany in April 2023.
The transfer took place immediately after the completion of training for Ukrainian operators, who began mastering the system in early February.