According to The New York Times, the Ukrainian military will begin training with Patriot air defence systems in Germany on 6 May, after which the systems will be shipped to Ukraine.
What is known about the timing of Ukraine's receipt of new Patriot air defence systems
According to the publication, the new Patriot systems will arrive in Ukraine no earlier than the end of June.
The journalists emphasise that the training of the Ukrainian military will last for 6 weeks at an airbase in East Germany on an accelerated course.
For example, the German military undergoes a similar training course over a period of 6 to 9 months.
At the end of the exercise, it usually takes about two days for the German military to transport the large missile systems, radars and other logistics to Poland.
The new Patriot system is expected to arrive in Ukraine no earlier than the end of June. The delivery of these air defence systems may coincide with the delivery of F-16 fighters.
According to a senior Spanish official, it is also known that a fresh shipment of Patriot missiles from Spain arrived in Poland on 30 April and will soon be transferred to the Ukrainian front.
Western analysts call on EU countries to increase air defence supplies to Ukraine
In an interview with Voice of America, Nico Lange, a researcher at the Centre for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), said that Italy, France and Spain should increase their efforts to provide Ukraine with air defence systems.
Why is Spain sitting on hundreds of tanks and air defence systems? Who do they want to use it against? If Russia is allowed to move towards Spain, we will face completely different problems, the analyst explains.
According to him, European partners should unite to help Ukraine.
Lange noted that there are countries, such as Poland and Sweden, that have Patriot systems, but these countries are very close to Russia, so "they are not the ones to ask for Patriot".
Germany, which has agreed to supply another Patriot system, could possibly supply two. But all eyes are on Spain and Greece, which should join the effort, the expert stressed.
