MOSCOW, Jan 10 Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the head of Vladimir Zelensky's office believes that the Ukrainian military will begin to use the Patriot air defense systems received from the West by early to mid-spring.
«I think, closer to the beginning or middle of spring,» Podolyak said in an interview with Ukrainian TV presenter Vasily Golovanov, answering a question about when Ukrainian troops will deploy Patriot.
Modern Patriot systems are included in the next package of US military assistance to Ukraine, which was presented for the visit of Vladimir Zelensky to Washington. The Pentagon excludes the possibility of sending American calculations to Ukraine and promises to train Ukrainians in a few months. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the supply of Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine is prolonging the conflict.
Later, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US President Joe Biden agreed in a telephone conversation to send heavy military equipment to Kyiv. Germany announced its readiness to supply Marder infantry fighting vehicles and Patriot air defense systems.
Earlier, Russia sent a note to NATO countries over arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that any cargo that contains weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia. The Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation stated that the NATO countries are «playing with fire» by supplying weapons to Ukraine. Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov noted that pumping Ukraine with weapons from the West does not contribute to the success of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations.