Zelenskyy meets Raytheon in Kyiv for Patriot co-production talks
Zelenskyy met Raytheon representatives in Kyiv to discuss joint Patriot interceptor production. The talks underline Ukraine's push for stronger air defences as it expands strikes inside Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he met senior representatives of Raytheon in Kyiv to discuss joint production of Patriot interceptor missiles, as Ukraine presses for stronger air defences against the ballistic missiles Russia has used during the war. The meeting came less than three weeks after US President Donald Trump said Ukraine would receive a licence to produce Patriots.
The development was another sign of a shift in Washington's approach to Ukraine. On Thursday, Laura Loomer, a close Trump ally, also met Zelenskyy in Kyiv and criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin over missile attacks on Ukraine. At the same time, Ukraine said it was continuing long-range drone strikes inside Russia, including attacks on logistical hubs linked to Wildberries, the country's biggest online retailer.
Zelenskyy said late on Thursday that Raytheon was ready to jointly produce Patriot interceptors with Ukraine. The Patriot system includes radars, command-and-control systems and different types of interceptor missiles. Raytheon did not immediately comment on the meeting on its website or social media accounts.
"Our teams - both at the government level and from the private sector - will stay in close touch to work it out," Zelenskyy said on social media.
Zelenskyy has been seeking a co-production agreement quickly as Russia continues to fire ballistic missiles that are difficult to intercept and have caused civilian casualties and extensive damage to civilian areas. He has for several years appealed to Western partners for more and faster Patriot deliveries. Ukraine has developed its own air defence innovations, but large-scale production remains important. Even so, experts and officials in Kyiv have warned that setting up such production in Ukraine would likely take years.
As the US under Trump has pursued diplomacy aimed at ending the war, Putin has tried to present Russia as negotiating from a position of strength. But since its first attack on Ukraine in 2014, Russia has captured only about 20 per cent of the country. Western officials and analysts say the Russian army's advance is now slowing because of Ukraine's effective front-line, mid-range and long-range strikes using advanced drone technology developed at home.
Ukraine has also stepped up its campaign inside Russia with larger and more frequent drone attacks on prominent targets, adding to pressure on Putin and causing fuel shortages. Kyiv officials want ordinary Russians to feel the effects of the war and question whether Putin can keep them safe. The near-daily attacks have caused unease in Russia.
Ukrainian forces again targeted logistical hubs used by Wildberries, which is often compared with Amazon, the company's founder Tatyana Kim said on Friday. She said the facilities hit were in St Petersburg, the neighbouring Leningrad region and Simferopol in illegally annexed Crimea. Photos and videos published by Russian media showed large plumes of grey smoke rising over St Petersburg. In recent days, Ukraine has also struck four other Wildberries warehouses across Russia, causing major fires.
Zelenskyy said on Friday that Ukrainian long-range weapons had hit an oil facility nearly 1,350 kilometres from the Ukrainian border as well as a military plant. Russia's Defence Ministry said on Friday morning that its air defences had shot down 571 Ukrainian drones overnight. Together, the developments showed Ukraine trying to strengthen its air shield through possible Patriot co-production while also widening its drone campaign inside Russia.
With PTI Inputs
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he met senior representatives of Raytheon in Kyiv to discuss joint production of Patriot interceptor missiles, as Ukraine presses for stronger air defences against the ballistic missiles Russia has used during the war. The meeting came less than three weeks after US President Donald Trump said Ukraine would receive a licence to produce Patriots.
The development was another sign of a shift in Washington's approach to Ukraine. On Thursday, Laura Loomer, a close Trump ally, also met Zelenskyy in Kyiv and criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin over missile attacks on Ukraine. At the same time, Ukraine said it was continuing long-range drone strikes inside Russia, including attacks on logistical hubs linked to Wildberries, the country's biggest online retailer.
Zelenskyy said late on Thursday that Raytheon was ready to jointly produce Patriot interceptors with Ukraine. The Patriot system includes radars, command-and-control systems and different types of interceptor missiles. Raytheon did not immediately comment on the meeting on its website or social media accounts.
"Our teams - both at the government level and from the private sector - will stay in close touch to work it out," Zelenskyy said on social media.
Zelenskyy has been seeking a co-production agreement quickly as Russia continues to fire ballistic missiles that are difficult to intercept and have caused civilian casualties and extensive damage to civilian areas. He has for several years appealed to Western partners for more and faster Patriot deliveries. Ukraine has developed its own air defence innovations, but large-scale production remains important. Even so, experts and officials in Kyiv have warned that setting up such production in Ukraine would likely take years.
As the US under Trump has pursued diplomacy aimed at ending the war, Putin has tried to present Russia as negotiating from a position of strength. But since its first attack on Ukraine in 2014, Russia has captured only about 20 per cent of the country. Western officials and analysts say the Russian army's advance is now slowing because of Ukraine's effective front-line, mid-range and long-range strikes using advanced drone technology developed at home.
Ukraine has also stepped up its campaign inside Russia with larger and more frequent drone attacks on prominent targets, adding to pressure on Putin and causing fuel shortages. Kyiv officials want ordinary Russians to feel the effects of the war and question whether Putin can keep them safe. The near-daily attacks have caused unease in Russia.
Ukrainian forces again targeted logistical hubs used by Wildberries, which is often compared with Amazon, the company's founder Tatyana Kim said on Friday. She said the facilities hit were in St Petersburg, the neighbouring Leningrad region and Simferopol in illegally annexed Crimea. Photos and videos published by Russian media showed large plumes of grey smoke rising over St Petersburg. In recent days, Ukraine has also struck four other Wildberries warehouses across Russia, causing major fires.
Zelenskyy said on Friday that Ukrainian long-range weapons had hit an oil facility nearly 1,350 kilometres from the Ukrainian border as well as a military plant. Russia's Defence Ministry said on Friday morning that its air defences had shot down 571 Ukrainian drones overnight. Together, the developments showed Ukraine trying to strengthen its air shield through possible Patriot co-production while also widening its drone campaign inside Russia.
With PTI Inputs
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he met senior representatives of Raytheon in Kyiv to discuss joint production of Patriot interceptor missiles, as Ukraine presses for stronger air defences against the ballistic missiles Russia has used during the war. The meeting came less than three weeks after US President Donald Trump said Ukraine would receive a licence to produce Patriots.
The development was another sign of a shift in Washington's approach to Ukraine. On Thursday, Laura Loomer, a close Trump ally, also met Zelenskyy in Kyiv and criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin over missile attacks on Ukraine. At the same time, Ukraine said it was continuing long-range drone strikes inside Russia, including attacks on logistical hubs linked to Wildberries, the country's biggest online retailer.
Zelenskyy said late on Thursday that Raytheon was ready to jointly produce Patriot interceptors with Ukraine. The Patriot system includes radars, command-and-control systems and different types of interceptor missiles. Raytheon did not immediately comment on the meeting on its website or social media accounts.
"Our teams - both at the government level and from the private sector - will stay in close touch to work it out," Zelenskyy said on social media.
Zelenskyy has been seeking a co-production agreement quickly as Russia continues to fire ballistic missiles that are difficult to intercept and have caused civilian casualties and extensive damage to civilian areas. He has for several years appealed to Western partners for more and faster Patriot deliveries. Ukraine has developed its own air defence innovations, but large-scale production remains important. Even so, experts and officials in Kyiv have warned that setting up such production in Ukraine would likely take years.
As the US under Trump has pursued diplomacy aimed at ending the war, Putin has tried to present Russia as negotiating from a position of strength. But since its first attack on Ukraine in 2014, Russia has captured only about 20 per cent of the country. Western officials and analysts say the Russian army's advance is now slowing because of Ukraine's effective front-line, mid-range and long-range strikes using advanced drone technology developed at home.
Ukraine has also stepped up its campaign inside Russia with larger and more frequent drone attacks on prominent targets, adding to pressure on Putin and causing fuel shortages. Kyiv officials want ordinary Russians to feel the effects of the war and question whether Putin can keep them safe. The near-daily attacks have caused unease in Russia.
Ukrainian forces again targeted logistical hubs used by Wildberries, which is often compared with Amazon, the company's founder Tatyana Kim said on Friday. She said the facilities hit were in St Petersburg, the neighbouring Leningrad region and Simferopol in illegally annexed Crimea. Photos and videos published by Russian media showed large plumes of grey smoke rising over St Petersburg. In recent days, Ukraine has also struck four other Wildberries warehouses across Russia, causing major fires.
Zelenskyy said on Friday that Ukrainian long-range weapons had hit an oil facility nearly 1,350 kilometres from the Ukrainian border as well as a military plant. Russia's Defence Ministry said on Friday morning that its air defences had shot down 571 Ukrainian drones overnight. Together, the developments showed Ukraine trying to strengthen its air shield through possible Patriot co-production while also widening its drone campaign inside Russia.
With PTI Inputs
