NATO to help buy 1,000 Patriot missiles to defend allies as Russia ramps up air assault on Ukraine
NATO says it will help buy up to 1,000 Patriot missiles so allies can better protect their territory as Russia ramps up its air assault on Ukraine
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.NATO announced Wednesday that it would help buy up to 1,000 Patriot missiles so that allies can better protect their territory as Russia ramps up its air assault on Ukraine.
NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency said it will support a group of nations, including Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain, in buying the Patriots, which are used to defend against cruise and ballistic missiles as well as enemy aircraft.
According to industry sources, the contract could be worth around $5.5 billion.
The purchase could help allies free up more of their own defense systems for Ukraine. The agency said that “other user nations are expected to benefit from the conditions of the contract,” without elaborating.
“Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian civilians, cities and towns show how important modern air defenses are,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement. “Scaling up ammunition production is key for Ukraine’s security and for ours.”
As an organization, NATO provides only non-lethal support to Ukraine, but its members send weapons and ammunition individually or in groups.
Russia's latest round of attacks began Friday with its largest single assault on Ukraine of the conflict, which has bogged down into a grinding winter war of attrition along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. More than 40 civilians have been killed since the weekend.
Ukraine’s two largest cities came under attack early Tuesday from Russian missiles that killed five people and injured as many as 130, officials said, as the war approaches its two-year mark.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine