The US government appears close to sending an advanced,medium-range air defense system to Ukraine, according to a report by CNN Monday.
A source familiar with the decision told CNN that Washington plans to announce as soon as this week that it has purchased an advanced, medium-to-long range surface-to-air missile defense system for Ukraine.
However, no details are available as to exactly when the new air defense systems would be delivered.
According to some reports, like one from The Times of Israel, the US is purchasing NASAMS, a Norwegian-developed anti-aircraft system, to provide medium- to long-range defense.
Just last week, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that his country needs a more modern air defense system after a series of deadly attacks on the capital, Kyiv, as well as the regions of Mykolaiv, Chernihiv and Lviv.
Ukraine operates Soviet-origin air-defense systems and missiles, some of which were donated by neighboring countries.
The Air Defense Systems in the service are aging, and finding spare parts and expertise to keep them in operation has grown harder as time has passed and tensions have risen. Kyiv needs weapons Western-made artillery, drones and air defense weapons to defend itself from Russia’s assault.