Russia Will Target Strikes To US Patriot MIM-104 Missiles In Ukraine

Russia Will Target Strikes To US Patriot MIM-104 Missiles In Ukraine

Moscow - Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would definitely target the United States (US) Patriot MIM-104 missile system in Ukraine if the weapons were deployed in the ongoing conflict.

This statement responds to media reports in the US which have indicated that plans to deliver the air defense system are in their final stages. Peskov's remarks came in response to questions about how Russia would react to the possibility of delivering the US-made system, which Kiev currently lacks.

CNN this week claimed that the Pentagon is finalizing a proposal to arm Ukraine with Patriot missiles. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin must approve the plan before it is sent to the president for approval, the network said. Sources cited by other major news outlets confirmed the reporting.

“If delivered, each missile battery will need dozens of trained Air Defenders to operate,” retired US Army General Mark Hertling said on Twitter. Preparing the crew will take months, so unless there is covert training going on for months, 'approval' does not mean the system will be on the battlefield immediately.

The US and its allies have pledged to support Ukraine with weapons, training and funding "as long as necessary" to defeat Russia. Moscow says Western countries are only prolonging the conflict in an attempt to hurt Russia and pressure the Ukrainian government not to negotiate peace.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who is now deputy chairman of the National Security Council, stated in late November that such weapons and their crews would be legitimate targets if a NATO member delivered them.

Medvedev's remarks came after NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg praised Germany's decision to deploy its Patriot missiles to Poland. He praised Berlin's support of Kiev and said the decision on which special capabilities to deploy to Ukraine depended on the national government. Some observers, including Medvedev, took this as a hint of the weapons deployment to come.