Romania to send Patriot system to Ukraine as Russia pounds its power grid

NATO member’s donation comes after Ukraine’s repeated calls on allies to boost its air defences.

NATO member Romania has announced it will send a Patriot missile system to Ukraine, which has repeatedly called on its allies to increase their air defence support as Russia attacks its energy infrastructure.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week that Russia had destroyed half of Ukraine’s electricity-generating capacity and it needed seven Patriot missile systems and other aerial defences to shield Ukraine’s urban centres.

“Considering the significant deterioration of the security situation in Ukraine, … council members decided to donate a Patriot system to Ukraine in close coordination with allies,” Romania’s Supreme Council of National Defence said in a statement on Thursday.

Thanking Romania, Zelenskyy posted on X: “This crucial contribution will bolster our air shield and help us better protect our people and critical infrastructure from Russian air terror.”