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Zelensky: Germany to send 600 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, U.S. aid discussed
Ukraine will receive 600 PAC-2 air defense missiles for the Patriot system from Germany, with deliveries scheduled for 2027–2028, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced . He noted that the Patriot Advanced Capability 2 missiles are also capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, but Ukraine needs more of these guided anti-aircraft missiles. In parallel, Kyiv is continuing talks with the United States to secure additional supplies. Ukraine has requested that the US provide 5–10% of its own Patriot missile stockpiles to help the country get through the winter. Zelensky stated that he would like to receive at least 300 missiles. Ukraine is also working with Raytheon to explore the possibility of developing a Ukrainian-made missile for use with the Patriot system. According to Zelensky, the first technical meeting between US and Ukrainian representatives has already taken place and a decision on next steps is expected soon. Zelensky also spoke about discussions with US President Donald Trump and engineer Elon Musk regarding permission to use Starlink internet terminals over Russian territory. The US president, Zelensky said, gave the green light, but SpaceX owner Musk considers such actions "an escalation." However, Zelensky is optimistic Musk may change his position, as the Ukrainian side has received "encouraging feedback." The president also stressed that Ukraine is already seeking ways to counter Russia’s efforts to develop its own Starlink equivalent. "We will not just wait for the Chinese and Russians to launch their own Starlink alternative, which they are building and planning to use in the war. When they launch theirs, we will also launch something of our own," Zelensky said, adding that he views this as yet another challenge among many faced during the war. Previously, Zelensky said that if the US were to sell Ukraine 5% of its Patriot missile inventories, the country would get through the winter, and that 10% would be enough to destroy all Russian ballistic missiles. On August 8, Zelensky announced that the US would be delivering Patriot interceptor missiles to Ukraine on a monthly basis.
