Air Protection System Reaches Ukraine

Ukraine's Defence Minister said on Wednesday that air protection systems “Patrios” have arrived in Ukraine.

Ukrainian defence officials have long demanded advanced weapons that could hit Russian targets. Ukrainian forces have been trained in the United States and Europe for use of the Patriot missile system.

Our beautiful Ukrainian sky today is safer because of the arrival of Ukraine of the air defense system {Patriot”, said in a post on Ukrainian Defence Minister Olexei Reznikov's Twitter network.

Our air defence forces quickly learned how to use this system, and our partners kept the word”, he added.

For months, Ukraine has been demanding from its allies the Patriot missile system and other air defence systems, saying these systems would strengthen Ukraine what would be a major step in the fight against the Kremlin.

Sweden's aspirations for NATO membership

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin voiced support Wednesday over Sweden's aspirations to join NATO.

Speaking during a visit to the Musko naval base in Sweden, Mr. Austin said the United States strongly supports Sweden's quick membership in the NATO alliance. “We will make great efforts to make this happen before the alliance's high-level summit”.

Mr. Austin said the Swedish Army “would add a lot of value NATO and the alliance's overall efforts”. “You have a professional army and have invested a lot in modernisation over the past several years”, Mr. Austin told those present.

Sweden applied for NATO membership together with Finland in response to Russian aggression against Ukraine last year.

Finland officially joined the military alliance in early April. Sweden's application for membership has faced objections from Hungary and Turkey. Istanbul says Sweden has not done enough to hit the groups Turkey considers a terrorist organisation. /Vosa

Data from the Associated Press, Agence France-Press and Reuters were used for this report.