Ukraine needs Western air defense systems for protection - ISW

The development of the defense industrial base may eventually allow Ukraine to maintain its defense against Russia and meet long-term national security needs, but now it needs Western air defense systems.

The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said this in a Russian offensive campaign assessment, Ukrinform reports.

ISW continues to assess that the U.S. will not need to send large security assistance packages to Ukraine indefinitely if Ukraine can sufficiently expand its defensive industrial capacity, but the West's provision of air defense systems and missiles to Ukraine is crucial for Ukraine's ability to defend its energy infrastructure and its developing defense industry against Russian strikes.

According to analyst, Ukrainian officials have expressed their intention to expand Ukraine's defense industrial base domestically and abroad since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.

U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller has stated that the short- and medium-term provision of Western air defenses to Ukraine will be a critical element of Ukraine's ability to stand up its defense industry, which will, in turn, decrease Ukrainian dependence on Western aid and especially U.S. aid to Ukraine in the long term.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently emphasized that Ukraine cannot mitigate the lack of sufficient air defense systems and that only Western-provided air defense systems, namely Patriot systems, allow Ukraine to defend itself against the intensified Russia strike campaign.

Photo: dpa