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Slammed by Russian missiles, Ukraine seeks more U.S. air defense systems
The Washington Post ^ | May 26, 2025 | Isobel Koshiw, Siobhán O'Grady and Ellen Francis

Posted on 06/06/2025 5:40:33 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican

Ukraine is increasingly worried about securing more U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems, as stockpiles sent during the Biden administration are drying up and the new administration is resistant to sending more, according to six Ukrainian and Western officials.

While Russia bombards Ukraine with drones and cruise missiles, it is the ballistic missiles that are the most feared, and they can be reliably countered only by Patriot missiles. Ballistic missiles travel several miles per second, and they obliterated half of Ukraine’s power capacity in strikes on power plants.

Their speed and size, plus the fact that they are difficult to intercept, have made ballistic missiles one of the most effective weapons in Russia’s arsenal, particularly against infrastructure.

Ukraine’s dire need for Patriots was apparent over Memorial Day weekend when its air defense forces failed to intercept any of the nine ballistic missiles launched Saturday night and early Sunday. Two of the missiles were directed at Kyiv, according to Ukraine’s air defense forces, where at least two Patriot units are believed to be stationed.

In addition to the ballistic missiles, Russia fired more than 900 drones and 65 cruise missiles over the weekend in some of the biggest strikes of the war, a sign that Russia is ramping up attacks after a relative decrease over May. The vast majority of the non-ballistic airstrikes were intercepted or were lost in action, Ukraine’s air defense forces reported.

President Donald Trump condemned Russia for the attacks late Sunday but did not make any promises of additional military aid. Russian President Vladimir Putin “has gone absolutely CRAZY!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesman, described the comments as “connected to an emotional overload of everyone involved.”

The main additional military aid Ukraine has requested from the Trump administration is more Patriot missiles and launchers,

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Ukraine
KEYWORDS: demedia; ellenfrancis; isobelkoshiw; muga1stamericalast; officialdemnarrative; sendcashbecuzpootler; sendmoremoney; siobhanogrady; washingtoncompost; wheresthemoney; zeepershasthesads; zeepersindespair; zelviswinsprettysoon
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1 posted on 06/06/2025 5:40:33 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

The answer should be “NO!”


2 posted on 06/06/2025 5:41:37 PM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: MinorityRepublican
нет

3 posted on 06/06/2025 5:47:35 PM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie ( O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is gracious, and His mercy endures forever. — Psalm 106)
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To: ConservativeMind

The answer is “can’t”

We don’t have any left to give

PresidentTrump has authorized Germany to send 200 German owned Patriots and a refitted but well used Israeli battery but that is all there is in the short term


4 posted on 06/06/2025 5:48:08 PM PDT by rdcbn1 (TV )
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To: MinorityRepublican

The vast majority of the non-ballistic airstrikes were intercepted or were lost in action, Ukraine’s air defense forces reported.
—-

LOL


5 posted on 06/06/2025 5:48:31 PM PDT by janetjanet998 (Legacy media including youtube are the enemy of the people and must die)
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To: MinorityRepublican

No Mas.


6 posted on 06/06/2025 5:49:18 PM PDT by Deaf Smith (When a Texan takes his chances, chances will be taken that's for sure.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

The US has important strategic locales full of our military that we need to protect.

All the air bases in the Pacific and the Middle East and all those associated allies.

Ukraine doesn’t qualify.


7 posted on 06/06/2025 5:50:40 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: ConservativeMind

“The answer should be “NO!””

Each side should submit a long-term peace plan.

If the Ukrainians are unreasonable, no expensive help.

unreasonable:
expecting Russians to give up land gained by Russian blood
expecting Russia to give up Crimea
refusing to be neutral
....

If the Russians are unreasonable, then Ukraine can be provided with reasoning assistance.

unreasonable:
expecting all their money back at once
expecting to get more Ukrainian land
....


8 posted on 06/06/2025 5:56:30 PM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: All

Choose an AI, Grok, GPT, whatever and pose this question:

what is the % effectiveness of patriot vs state of the art ballistic missiles?

I won’t paste the text. You can get that text yourself.

Bottom line: It doesn’t work hardly at all.


9 posted on 06/06/2025 5:57:03 PM PDT by Owen
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To: MinorityRepublican

Ukraine should move valid targets out of its cities.


10 posted on 06/06/2025 5:58:07 PM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: MinorityRepublican

No, no and no. The US will rue the day when we give away all our precious weapons to defend useless East European dirt and the Chinese pounce on a weakened America.


11 posted on 06/06/2025 5:59:36 PM PDT by Ciexyz (Prayers for America and Israel.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

No need for Patriots - Russia is out of missles.


12 posted on 06/06/2025 5:59:38 PM PDT by frithguild (The warmth and goodness of Gaia is a nuclear reactor in the Earth's core that burns Thorium)
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To: MinorityRepublican
The vast majority of the non-ballistic airstrikes were intercepted or were lost in action, Ukraine’s air defense forces reported.

Hmm. Is Ukraine using Patriot missiles to intercept non-ballistic threats?

13 posted on 06/06/2025 6:00:50 PM PDT by Charles Martel (Progressives are the crab grass in the lawn of life.)
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To: Owen

According to AI, Ukraine needs 12-15 Patriot batteries MINIMUM to provide adequate protection, right now they have 5-6.


14 posted on 06/06/2025 6:04:27 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

I’ve always wondered which is correct:

1. “That’s all she wrote.”
2. “That’s all, she wrote.”

Either way, the answer is no.


15 posted on 06/06/2025 6:06:45 PM PDT by FirstFlaBn
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To: MinorityRepublican

Punk Zelensky wants more from the US?
He can beg his coke snorting deep state, UK and EU buddies who’ve planned sh#t for months behind the backs of Trump and US taxpayers.
He never had any intention of negotiating and neither did his hysterical cohorts.


16 posted on 06/06/2025 6:06:49 PM PDT by doc maverick
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To: FirstFlaBn

That’s all she wrote, because the pencil broke.

That’s all, she wrote....because the pencil broke.


17 posted on 06/06/2025 6:09:01 PM PDT by Jane Long (Jesus is Lord!)
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To: MinorityRepublican

How is “adequate” defined?


18 posted on 06/06/2025 6:09:01 PM PDT by Owen
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To: MinorityRepublican

Isobel, Siobhan and Ellen are venerable military experts, right ?
Their ‘wisdom’ is justified by real world experience, not just from their cell phones, right ?


19 posted on 06/06/2025 6:16:16 PM PDT by A strike ( American patriot Eric Snowden)
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To: Owen

Shoot down 80-90% of incoming missile threats. Covering the rear and the front. Right now, they can’t provide layered defense. There are gaps in the coverage provided by Patriot batteries.


20 posted on 06/06/2025 6:18:08 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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