IRIS-T, Patriot systems already on combat duty in Ukraine – Air Force spox

01.05.2023 11:42

Ukrinform

All air defense systems delivered to Ukraine are on combat duty and protect the country's airspace, but their number is not sufficient to cover the entire perimeter.

Yurii Ihnat, spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, said this on national television, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"As for the names of the nomenclature of weapons that we receive from our Western partners, only SAMP/T and F-16 remain here, if we are talking about the Air Force. But on the other hand, the type of weapons we are getting is already working in Ukraine. Believe me, all the Western weapons that are available now, to one degree or another, are working for our victory. I mean those anti-aircraft missile systems that we are getting. But they are not enough. We understand that saying that IRIS-T and Patriot are in Ukraine is quite good news for us, but we still need much more of them," Ihnat said.

He noted that Ukraine is one of the largest countries in Europe, and with the help of the currently available systems, it is not possible to cover all directions. "Ukraine needs much more of them," he said.

Early on May 1, Russian troops launched a missile attack on Ukraine.

Ukraine's air defense forces destroyed 15 of 18 Kh-101/Kh-555 air-launched cruise missiles.

According to preliminary data, Ukraine's air defense destroyed all enemy missiles and UAVs over Kyiv.