Ukraine ‘Can’t Easily Replace’ Patriot Air Defenses Destroyed by Russia – Report

The Russian Defense Ministry earlier published a video of an Iskander-M missile strike destroying an S-300 system, which was part of Ukraine’s military convoy tracked in the Donetsk People’s Republic. A security source then told Sputnik about Kiev’s Patriot systems also being obliterated as a result of the strike.

It may take oceans of time for Ukraine to get new launchers for the US-made Patriot air defense systems to replace those destroyed near the town of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Forbes magazine has reported.

"Ukraine or one of its allies could get in line to buy replacement launchers to replace the two the Russians just destroyed, but that purchase could take months if not years and cost millions of dollars Kiev likely hasn’t budgeted for," the news outlet noted.

Russian Defense Ministry shared footage of the destruction of the S-300 air defense missile launcher in the area of the village of Pokrovsk, which DPR.

As a result of a precise strike by the Iskander missile defense system, the position of Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile system… pic.twitter.com/Wty48aCUn5

— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) March 9, 2024

Given that Republican Congressmen "have been blocking further US aid to Ukraine since October, every Patriot launcher the Ukrainians lose is a Patriot launcher they can’t easily replace," Forbes pointed out.

The magazine recalled that Ukraine "tends to get its Patriot batteries and missiles as donations," adding that "while Germany, the Netherlands or some other European operator could gift more hardware, it’s most expedient for it to come from the source - the United States."

A security source earlier told Sputnik that two Patriot systems were among the military hardware destroyed by a strike carried out by Russia's Iskander missile in the Donetsk People’s Republic’s town of Pokrovsk.

The last time the Russian military hit Ukraine’s Patriot SAM was in late February when a high-precision strike destroyed a launcher, ammo as well as a transport and loading vehicle of the system.

The US and its allies have been providing Ukraine with military equipment since the start of Russia's special military operation.

The Kremlin has consistently warned against continued arms deliveries to the Kiev regime, warning they would lead to the prolongation of the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, for his part, cautioned that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russian strikes.