Ukraine to Produce Patriot Missile System Components with US Firm Raytheon

Kyiv. Ukraine will produce the Patriot air defense system in collaboration with the United States. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that discussions were held on producing interceptor missiles for the Patriot air defense system in collaboration with the American defense company Raytheon. This initiative is considered significant as Ukraine needs more advanced air defense systems to counter the ballistic missile attacks continuously launched by Russia. Zelenskyy held a meeting with a senior delegation from Raytheon in Kyiv on Thursday. After the meeting, he informed via social media that the company is willing to cooperate with Ukraine to produce missiles for the Patriot system. According to him, government bodies and private sector teams will now continuously coordinate to advance the production plan. This meeting took place approximately three weeks after US President Donald Trump announced that he would grant Ukraine a license to produce the Patriot system. Trump's decision is seen as a significant shift in US policy towards Ukraine. Ukraine has been urging Western countries for more Patriot systems and their missiles since the start of Russia's invasion. The Patriot system is considered extremely important for Ukraine as it is specifically capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. Russia has been increasing such missile attacks on Ukrainian cities recently, causing significant human and material damage. The Patriot system includes advanced radar, command and control systems, and various types of interceptor missiles. However, defense experts estimate that it may take several more years to build the necessary infrastructure and complete technical preparations for its production in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Laura Loomer, a close associate of Trump and a political commentator, also arrived in Kyiv and met with Zelenskyy. She criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin's missile attacks and strongly reacted to the invasion of Ukraine. This is also seen as a sign of the changing attitude towards Ukraine in Washington. Although Russia claims to be in a strong position in the war, the Ukrainian army has intensified attacks on front-line positions and strategic targets within Russia using advanced drone technology. According to analysts, such attacks by Ukraine have slowed down the advance of the Russian army. Recently, Ukrainian drones also attacked the logistics centers of Russia's largest online retail company, Wildberries. Russian media reported large fires after attacks on warehouses in St. Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast, and Simferopol in Crimea, occupied by Russia.