With unofficial reports circulating that the Biden Administration is close to approving the deployment of Patriot Missile Defense Systems to Ukraine, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, said that if deployed to Ukraine that the Patriot System “along with NATO personnel, they will immediately become a legitimate target for our armed forces.†Each Patriot battery requires as many as 90 troops to operate and maintain. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said if the U.S. deploys the Patriot System to Ukraine, the U.S. will “effectively become a party†in Russia’s war with Ukraine.
