Germany and the US have agreed to provide Ukraine with five patriot air defense systems, German defense minister Boris Pistorius said on Monday.
During the 29th Ukrainian Defense Liaison Group, Pistorius said he had reached an agreement with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses on a recent trip to Washington.
The announcement comes as Russia has increased its long-distance strike campaign in Ukraine.
Authorities say the Russian strike hit the Ukrainian capital Kiev overnight on Monday, killing one person and injuring at least six people.
Large-scale drone and missile attacks have caused several fires to break out in the city, including residential buildings, children’s daycare, outdoor kiosks and metro stations.
The announcement from Pistorius also came after US President Donald Trump said on July 11 that Washington would send advanced weapons, including patriots, to Ukraine via NATO.
“We’re sending patriots to NATO, and NATO will distribute them,” Trump told TV channel CBS News, adding that the alliance will pay for the system.
The Patriot missile system is able to detect and intercept a wide range of gaze targets, especially in high-end ballistic missiles, and is considered one of the best in the world, when Moscow increased missile attacks every night, entering its fourth year of all wars with Ukraine.
Pistorius said coordination with partners regarding system delivery will continue for the next few days.
Speaking at the Ukrainian Recovery Conference in Rome last week, Ukrainian President Voldy Mirzelensky said Germany would pay for two systems and Norway agreed to supply one.
On Monday, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gar Stroer said he was ready to help his country fund the Ukrainian Patriot system.
Norway, one of the founding members of NATO, is a solid supporter of Ukraine, pledging both to donate F-16 fighter jets to the country and to a five-year, spread of 7 billion (5.9 billion euros) aid scheme.
The US-built Patriot missile system is an important part of Ukraine’s air defense, allowing both ballistic and cruise missiles to intercept, providing protection against massive strikes against urban settlements.
Trump said on July 16 that shipping of patriots to Ukraine had already begun, but the German Ministry of Defense initially denied knowledge of the relocation.
Washington has already sent three patriot batteries to Ukraine, while Germany offers three more.
Additional batteries came from the European Union, but not all systems are currently operating due to regular maintenance revolving.
On July 17, Switzerland said the US Department of Defense had notified that Washington was repurposing Swiss orders on the Patriot Air Defense System to support Ukraine.
It was not immediately clear whether the Swiss-ordered patriots would go directly to Ukraine or replace the units of other European countries that could be donated to Kiev.
Delivery of billions of dollars worth of systems to Switzerland began in 2027 and was expected to be completed in 2028.
However, the Swiss government said Washington notified it of the delay on Wednesday, adding that it is unclear how many systems will be affected.
The need to properly arm the Ukrainian army is looming as Russia appears to spur summer attacks and pound Ukrainian cities with hundreds of drones and ballistic and cruise missiles.