We’ll know by end of October how our partners plan to close Ukrainian sky - Ukraine’s Defence Minister

UKRAINSKA PRAVDA — THURSDAY, 13 OCTOBER 2022, 14:16 

Oleksii Reznikov, Minister of Defence of Ukraine, has said that it will become clear some time in October what Ukraine’s air defence partners can provide to close the sky over Ukraine, and when and how they will do it.

Source: Interfax-Ukraine news agency, quoting Reznikov

Quote: "The main thing is that a political decision has been made. Then [the details] will be worked out… I want our expectations to be met - the sky will not be closed tomorrow… These are expensive systems, complex ones that require training - [I’m saying] this so that no one is under the illusion that everything is going to change tomorrow.

The sky cannot be closed 100% - [we should have] no illusions about that. The question is the percentage of possible damage - as of today, our glorious air defence units systematically shoot down up to 50% of all threats with the resources they have. So if we reach 60-70-80%, it will be amazing. This is the first point.

The second point is that these systems are divided into different ranges, short, medium and long - 40-80-200 km respectively. And there are various types - MANPADS are air defence systems too; even Stingers are air defence systems. We need to look at where we have gaps, such as critical infrastructure facilities."

Details: Reznikov stated that the Pentagon "sent everyone a public signal yesterday that we are starting to work in order to accelerate assistance to Ukraine as much as possible" within the framework of the Contact Group in the Ramstein-format meeting, which is an "American project".

Quote: "Within two weeks, we will have an approximate understanding of who is supplying us with what - who’s giving us rockets, etc.; that’s currently being explored. The next month will provide us with an answer to this question: when, how many, and how."

Background:

• US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, noted that the allies discussed ways to enhance Ukraine’s air defence and create a multi-level system of protection against air threats as soon as possible at the sixth Ramstein meeting on 12 October. 
• In addition to the group’s meeting in the Ramstein format, a meeting of NATO Defence Ministers has been held in Brussels. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that strengthening Ukraine's air defence would be the meeting’s top priority.

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