The US is sending Soviet air defense systems that it secretly acquired to Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday, citing anonymous US officials.
The report said that over the decades, the US acquired a small number of Soviet air defense systems so they could be examined by US intelligence. One US official said the systems being sent to Ukraine include the SA-8, also known as the 9K33 OSA, a mobile surface-to-air missile system that the Soviet Union developed in the 1960s.
Ukraine has been pleading with the US and its NATO allies to send more advanced anti-aircraft missiles than the shoulder-fired ones they have been sending. Ukraine is seeking Soviet-designed S-300 missile systems, but the report said they are not included in the weapons being sent by Washington.
Ukraine’s military is only familiar with Soviet-made weapons, so the US cannot send systems such as the Patriot since it would require lengthy training. Slovakia has said it’s willing to send Ukraine S-300s as part of this effort if it receives a replacement from its NATO allies. Germany and the Netherlands have both announced that they are deploying Patriot missiles to Slovakia, which could fast track the S-300 delivery.
By sending weapons into Ukraine, the US and NATO are risking provoking Russia. Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any weapons shipments entering Ukraine would be considered “legitimate targets.” His warning came after President Biden announced a fresh $800 million arms package for Ukraine.
It is going to be interesting to see how this plays out…
Oh yeah stuff from the 60s is really going to help NOT
What a ridiculous move. Send expired antitank weapons, now obsolete AD. Even the Ukrainians must realize how stupid this is. Even the best version can’t shoot further than 9 miles, so any Russian plane or helicopter just has to stand off ten missiles and pepper missiles at it all day. Idiotic. This is just PR for an American audience ignorant of everything.
My thoughts exactly. On with the show.
I worry that these weapons could be used in a false flag attack against aircraft in Poland to justify involving NATO by the same people who accused Russia of shooting down Malaysian Airlines flight 17.
They will have to be delivered into Ukraine before being used and Russia will probably blow them up as they cross over the border.
“Ukraine is seeking Soviet-designed S-300 missile systems, but the report said they are not included in the weapons being sent by Washington.”
Russia is already building S-500 and planning on S-550 & S-600….! The S-300 that US has smuggled from Eastern Europe which is being used for the so called Training will soon find its way to National Air & Space Museum in DC…!