The US State Department has announced the approval of a critically needed sale of Patriot air defense interceptors to Ukraine worth $2.1 billion to strengthen Kyiv's defenses against increasing Russian aerial attacks that have been targeting civilian populated areas and infrastructure over the past few months.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, however, warned that the 500 missile interceptors could take “several years” to arrive.
Welcoming the US State Department’s move as a “strong decision,” Zelenskyy wrote in a social media post that “500 PAC-3 interceptors is a substantial number” and could form an effective defense package this winter, but noted that “deliveries may begin only in a few years.”
“We are asking our American partners to find a solution for the time when there is a real danger and a real need to use PAC-3 interceptors,” the Ukrainian president said while noting that that his country’s energy infrastructure is under Russian attacks.
The State Department said that the proposed sale of the missile interceptors, being purchased with funds from Canada, Germany, and Norway, will support the foreign policy and national-security objectives of the United States “by improving the security of a partner country that is a force for political and economic stability in Europe.”
The announcement of the proposed sale came after Zelenskyy repeated his calls on October 30, asking the United States to speed up the release of the interceptors, which are seen as the most effective weapon against the ballistic missile attacks from Russia.
In September, the European Commission approved 6.1 billion euros ($6.82 billion) in defense procurement for Ukraine.
This amount also included the purchase of US PAC-3 Patriot missile interceptors under special exception to EU rules. The European Commission did not specify how much money was allocated for these interceptors, citing operational security considerations.
At a closed-door meeting of the European Council in October, Zelenskyy told the participants how many Patriot interceptor missiles Ukraine would need to get through the winter.
Evacuation From Oleshky Completed
Meanwhile, evacuation of residents from the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian city of Oleshky had been completed as Moscow and Kyiv continued to stick to the temporary cease-fire brokered by US first lady Melania Trump.
Buses filled with civilians left the area for the first time in more than four years without any incident. The cease-fire is set to remain in effect until November 1.
Russian human rights ombudswoman Yana Lantratova said in a social media post on October 30 that after arriving in Ukraine's Russia-occupied Crimea, one convoy of buses then headed toward Russia, while a second convoy was bound for Ukraine.
"We are concluding our humanitarian mission in Oleshky. We are currently in the territory of Armyansk (in northern Crimea)," she said in a video posted on Telegram, adding that both sides had praised the high standard of its organization.
Ukrainian human rights ombudsman David Lubinets confirmed the evacuation saying those residents of Oleshky who wished to travel to Ukraine were on their way.
"At this point, those who wished to leave Oleshky for Ukraine have been able to do so and are now on their way. Humanitarian aid has been delivered. The convoys have split up, and I am heading to Ukraine," he wrote.
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Evacuations, Humanitarian Mission Begin In Russian-Occupied Ukrainian City Of Oleshky
Hundreds of Oleshky residents were expected to return to Ukrainian-controlled territory via a roundabout route: once in Anapa, in southern Russia, the civilians will head by plane to the Belarusian city of Homel, and from there by bus into Ukraine's northern Chernihiv region.
The circuitous route was needed to avoid roads along front lines that have been heavily mined and destroyed by the conflict, sparked by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.