The United States will send Ukraine a new $2 billion military aid package, the White House said in a statement.
The package will include the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system and high-precision missiles for it. With the help of the American air defense system, Ukraine will be able to protect critical infrastructure from Russian shelling. The Ukrainian military will be trained to work with the Patriot in a third country. As the Associated Press writes , it will probably take place over several weeks at the Grafenwoehr training ground in Germany. Also, the United States will continue to supply Ukraine with NASAMS and HAWK air defense systems, Stingers MANPADS and anti-drone weapons.
In addition, according to the AP, JDAM, a set of GPS-based equipment, will be included in the assistance package. It is used to modify aerial bombs by adding tail fins and high precision navigation systems. This will allow not only to drop them on the target, but to correct the flight path during the fall.
The decision to transfer Patriot to Ukraine was made despite the threats of the Russian Foreign Ministry. The agency promised that it would perceive the supply of the American air defense system as a provocation that would make it a legitimate target for Russia. Patriot can destroy aerodynamic and ballistic targets at a distance of 160 km and 50 km, respectively, but one battery requires 70 trained personnel.