Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine for Foreign Policy and Strategic Partnership Andriy Sibiga said that in the fall, the Armed Forces of Ukraine should receive Western air defense and missile defense systems.

The official made such a statement in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.

“We need to close the sky, this is also the president frankly bringing to his partners in all conversations, so we expect an air and missile defense system,” Sibiga said.

According to him, on the issue of supplying air defense and missile defense systems, the Kyiv authorities are “quite optimistic”, they see “clear prospects” and “time frames”.

Answering a clarifying question from a journalist, Sibiga added that the transfer of foreign anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) to Ukrainian troops is scheduled for this fall.

The deputy head of the office of the President of Ukraine did not specify the names of the air defense systems that the Armed Forces of Ukraine should receive.

However, today it is known that in the coming weeks Kyiv should receive IRIS-T complexes.

In particular, German Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock spoke about this on August 25.

"Support Package"

Recall that from the very beginning of the special operation, Kyiv requires large-scale supplies of air defense equipment, including samples capable of intercepting targets at long distances.

However, the West limited itself to the supply of short-range air defense systems.

In particular, the Armed Forces of Ukraine received portable Stinger air defense systems from the United States.

As previously reported in the Pentagon, a total of more than 1.4 thousand units of these weapons were delivered to the Ukrainian army.

Last month, in an address to citizens and military personnel, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukrainian representatives "did not stop working for a day to get effective air defense."

“And we have certain agreements on this matter, there are certain successes that allow us to destroy part of the missiles, but we need a completely different speed and scale of protection,” Zelensky said.

According to the Ukrainian leader, the issue of supplying the necessary air defense equipment depends "on political decisions that can be taken in key capitals."

Zelensky recalled that the topic of air defense was a key one in the speech of his wife Elena before the US Congress on July 20.

In her speech, the first lady of Ukraine stated that the Russian Armed Forces used 3,000 cruise missiles and asked Washington to transfer the necessary air defense systems to the Ukrainian military.

Also, the issue of providing "powerful air defense" of Ukraine was raised during the negotiations of the Ukrainian leadership with US senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal.

United States legislators from the Republican and Democratic parties came to Kyiv in early July. 

  • Cargo of foreign military aid for the Armed Forces of Ukraine

  • © General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

“We are writing to you, first of all, for Congress to support Ukraine in the issue of supplying modern air defense systems.

We must ensure such a level of sky security so that our people are not afraid to live in Ukraine," Zelensky said during negotiations with senators.

The day before Graham and Blumenthal's visit, the Ukrainian president announced that Kyiv had prepared and handed over a list of necessary weapons and air defense systems to its foreign partners.

In an address to citizens on the night of July 1, Zelensky said that the new US aid package includes US-Norwegian NASAMS (National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System) anti-aircraft systems.

At the same time, the President of Ukraine did not specify the number of air defense systems being transferred and did not name the timing of their delivery.

“I am especially grateful to the United States of America and personally to Biden for the new support package for Ukraine announced today, which contains very powerful NASAMS systems.

An anti-aircraft missile system that will significantly strengthen our air defense,” Zelensky said.

NASAMS is a medium-range air defense system designed to intercept UAVs, aircraft and cruise missiles.

At the moment, the air defense system is operated by the aircraft of 12 countries of the world.

NASAMS is a joint product of the Norwegian Kongsberg and the American Raytheon.

The development of this air defense system started in 1989 and was completed in 1993.

The complex has been constantly modernized.

So, in October last year, Raytheon announced the creation of a new radar called GhostEye MR.

The range of destruction from NASAMS is 2.5-25 km, the maximum interception height is 16 km, the reaction time is ten seconds, the period of transfer from traveling to combat is 15 minutes, the maximum speed of the target being hit is 1000 m / s.

As the Pentagon told reporters last week, the United States should transfer NASAMS to the Ukrainian army in October-November of this year.

The US Department of Defense noted that they will be specially made for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The number of these systems was not named, but earlier the department announced its intention to transfer two air defense systems to Kyiv.

In late June, shortly before Zelensky announced the transfer of the Armed Forces to NASAMS, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters about the "finalization" of the military assistance package, which includes "advanced air defense systems."

According to a White House official, we are talking about the supply of medium and long-range air defense systems.

  • NASAMS launcher

  • © Raytheon Missiles and Defense

Of other air defense systems, Kyiv expects to receive a long-range Patriot system from the US authorities.

The Ukrainian leadership unsuccessfully sought the import of this weapon even before the special operation.

After it began, Washington ignored the request of Kyiv, but at the same time allowed the supply of Patriot to its European allies.

In an interview with RT, military expert Viktor Litovkin expressed doubt that the United States would change its mind and come to the conclusion that it is necessary to transfer the Patriot to Ukrainian troops.

“I don’t think the States will take that risk.

One of the reasons is the too high probability of image losses.

Americans cannot fail to understand that if the Patriot fails to cope with the tasks assigned to it in Ukraine or is destroyed by the RF Armed Forces, then this will probably be its worst anti-advertising, ”says Litovkin.

Operational difficulties

Earlier, in the context of the topic of air defense, the Ukrainian authorities recalled another request, which was also voiced before the NWO.

In particular, the Kyiv regime again called for the installation of the Iron Dome missile defense system, which is a joint development of Raytheon and Israeli Rafael.

The corresponding statement was made in June by the Ukrainian ambassador to Tel Aviv Yevhen Korniychuk.

The diplomat stressed that Kyiv is even ready to purchase this system.

“I want the Israeli authorities to step out of their comfort zone and get back to reality.

We need Israel's help... I mean, we need military-technical support, we need the Iron Dome," Korniychuk said.

Meanwhile, as Viktor Litovkin noted, the Iron Dome does not adequately correspond to the tasks that are now facing the Ukrainian air defense system.

The Iron Dome is designed primarily to intercept the unguided, homemade rockets that periodically launch Palestinian formations.

At the same time, during the special operation, the Russian Armed Forces massively use other types of weapons - cannon artillery shells, MLRS and high-precision missile weapons, ”Litovkin explained.

According to the expert, with a high probability, almost all the new air defense systems that Western countries will supply to the Armed Forces of Ukraine will either be eliminated by the RF Armed Forces or fail during operation.

“The air defense systems that Kyiv is trying to get, and in large numbers, require careful operation, and this, in turn, is impossible without a long months-long training in all the subtleties of management and maintenance.

If the West fails to ensure this, then any expensive air defense systems in the service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine may turn out to be incapable of combat, ”Litovkin emphasized.

Nikolai Kostikin, an expert at the Bureau of Military-Political Analysis, holds a similar view.

In an interview with RT, he drew attention to the importance of the timely supply of spare parts and ammunition to ensure the combat duty of the air defense system.

  • Ukrainian air defense system destroyed during a special operation

  • RIA News

  • © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

“It’s hard for me to imagine how Kyiv, in principle, is going to integrate Western air defense systems into its air defense system.

In addition, it is quite obvious that if they are not properly covered and disguised, then our army will strike at them, ”Kostikin noted.

According to the expert, during the special operation, the RF Armed Forces learned well how to detect enemy anti-aircraft systems and radar stations.

“Kyiv is in vain expecting that the supply of Western air defense systems will solve all their problems.

Of course, some of them can get in line and create some difficulties.

But, most likely, the Ukrainian calculations of the Western air defense systems will eventually have to hide from Russian strikes.

This will be their main work," summed up Kostikin.