The Biden administration announced a new $1.85 billion military aid package for Ukraine on Wednesday, which includes the Patriot missile system, the most advanced air defense weapon in the US arsenal and one of the main requests of Ukraine.
“Today’s assistance includes for the first time the Patriot air defense system, capable of bringing down cruise missiles, short-range ballistic missiles and aircraft at a significantly higher ceiling than previously provided air defense systems,” he said Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement announcing the latest aid, which he said was in response to Russia’s “ongoing brutal and unprovoked assault”.