US to redirect inceptor missiles to Ukraine that other allies had ordered

The White House announced Thursday that it will rush delivery of air defence interceptor missiles to Ukraine by redirecting planned shipments to other allied nations, as Washington scrambles to counter increased Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

National security spokesman John Kirby said the US had taken the difficult but necessary decision to reprioritise near-term planned deliveries of foreign military sales to other countries, though he wouldn’t say which nations would be affected or how many.

Right now, we know that Ukraine urgently needs these additional capabilities, Kirby said on a call with reporters, adding, Obviously more is needed, and it’s needed now.

The US was already sending Ukraine a consistent stream of interceptors for its air defence systems, including for the Patriot missile batteries and the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, or NASAMS. But Kirby said that more was urgently needed as Russia’s military has accelerated missile and drone attacks against cities and infrastructure centres trying to destroy Ukraine’s energy system ahead of this winter.

Russia has resumed its aerial pounding of Ukraine’s power grid while Kyiv’s forces are again targeting Russian oil facilities with drone strikes, as each side seeks to hinder the other’s ability to continue fighting.

The number of interceptors to be sent isn’t clear but Kirby said it could involve hundreds of Patriot interceptor missiles.

Kirby said Ukraine will get prioritised shipments as soon as systems roll off assembly lines for the next about 16 months, and those will provide the country with “enough capability during that period.

After that, he said, Countries that have been asked to delay will start to get deliveries of systems they had already ordered.

Kirby said the move means a range of countries will face delays in receiving missile systems that are being diverted to Ukraine but that the shift would not affect Taiwan or what it continues to need and receive for self-defense” in the face of potential threats from China.

Asked to describe how other countries reacted to the shift, Kirby said they were “broadly understanding of it.

They know how serious the need is in Ukraine,” he said.

First Published: Jun 21 2024 | 6:47 AM IST