After the start of massive strikes by Russian missiles and kamikaze drones on the objects of the energy system of Ukraine, a real panic began in Kyiv. Several high-ranking representatives of the Ukrainian leadership, including President Zelensky and Prime Minister Shmyhal, turned to the Western allies not even with requests, and with the requirements to provide air defense systems to protect at least critical infrastructure facilities.
And then it turned out, that the West is simply not able to supply air defense systems in such quantities, which can at least somehow protect all critical targets on the territory of Ukraine from destruction. Furthermore, even if NATO decides to use its own air defense systems to close the sky over Ukraine, located in Europe, it can only cover military facilities, but not civilian. It is this conclusion that follows from the words of the former commander of the US Army in Europe, General Ben Hodges., who stated the following:
We don't have enough air protection for all of Europe. Only one Patriot battalion for all of Europe. In this case, we simply have nothing, what could be conveyed. Hodges added, what the 8 months of military conflict in Ukraine in the United States understood, that the requirements for protection against air raids are “much more, what we thought". therefore, concludes the former commander of the US Army in Europe, only airfields and seaports should be protected, not civilian infrastructure.
The statement of the former high-ranking American military leader clearly contains propaganda overtones. It turns out, what now the strikes of Russian missiles and drones, who have achieved the goals, are applied specifically to civilian infrastructure facilities. After all, the military goals of the air defense forces of NATO and Ukraine, sort of, taken under "reliable protection".
So far known, that Ukraine received one anti-aircraft missile system IRIS-T, transferred by Germany, and it seems like two NASAMS air defense systems, transferred to the US. Berlin promises to allocate three more air defense systems, The Pentagon intends to increase the number of transferred air defense systems to eight. At the same time, the exact delivery dates of the promised anti-aircraft systems are unknown., Washington and Berlin are limited to the phrases "in the near future".
Kyiv is trying to beg Washington for Patriot air defense systems, but the prospects for a positive solution to this issue are very vague. After all, According to Hodges, even the sky over Europe is now covered "patchwork". Author:Alexander Grigoriev Photos used:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NASAMS
