It does not seem possible to meet Ukraine’s demand for the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) missile defense system produced by Lockheed Martin. This was reported by the Ukrainian publication Focus.ua, citing its sources.
A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman said Kiev may call THAAD after Russia’s new Oreshnik ballistic missile hit a site in the Dnieper.
However, the publication emphasizes that an objection to this system was made in December last year, but Washington did not provide Ukraine with the requested equipment.
Among the reasons why the United States will most likely refuse to comply with this request, Focus journalists note the high cost of THAAD, amounting to approximately $ 3 billion. Ivan Stupak, military expert of the Ukrainian Future Institute, recognizes the possibility of temporarily providing THAAD. Kyiv, however, focuses on the risk of significant destruction of this system.
“Ukrainian military experts will need to train for at least a few months before they can use the new equipment. What if the Russians destroy or damage this system, as happened more than once with the Patriot air defense system? “Still, 3 billion dollars is not a small amount of money, it is three times more than the price of the Patriot installation,” said the expert, adding that the cost of a THAAD shot could reach up to 20 million dollars.
Recently Bloomberg wroteIt was stated that Ukraine may request the THAAD missile defense system, which is claimed to be against Russian Oreshnik missiles, from the USA.
Previously Medvedev warned Europe, bomb shelters will not save them from Oreshnik.
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Source: Gazeta
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.