Patriot for Ukraine: Raytheon ready to accelerate missile deliveries

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry and the U.S. company RTX have discussed accelerating the delivery of missiles for Patriot systems and moving toward deeper industrial cooperation to bolster Ukraine's air defenses.

The ministry said this in a statement seen by Ukrinform.

Deputy Defense Minister Sergiy Boyev and a delegation from the U.S. defense company RTX, led by Raytheon's Ukraine Executive, Jennifer Pueschner, discussed strategic areas of cooperation aimed at strengthening the protection of Ukrainian airspace and building domestic technical capabilities to maintain advanced weapons systems.

Boyev emphasized the critical importance of air defense systems for protecting Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure facilities against the backdrop of the aggressor's recent massive aerial attacks.

"You could see for yourselves how important and critical air defense capabilities are, as well as the pace at which we must act in this area. Last night, when one of the largest combined strikes on Ukraine's territory was carried out using a record number of ballistic missiles, the energy infrastructure suffered further destruction," Boyev said.

For their part, Raytheon representatives confirmed their readiness to accelerate the delivery of missiles for Patriot systems through direct contracts and international support mechanisms.

The parties also discussed the current state and plans for the maintenance and sustainment of air and missile defense systems in service with Ukrainian forces.

Special attention was given to the possibility of moving from the supply of finished systems to deeper industrial cooperation. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry is interested in establishing facilities in Ukraine for the maintenance and repair of Western equipment.

Boyev thanked the partners for their support and stressed that expanding cooperation with leading defense companies is one of Ukraine's strategic priorities.

Photo credit: Ukrainian Defense Ministry