Cavoli acknowledged that he initially had doubts about Ukrainian troops’ ability to quickly master Patriot systems, as they are “extremely complex.”
“This is a success story. Frankly, I had some doubts at first, because these are very complex systems. It takes us a long time to train our personnel to operate such systems,” he said.
The general noted that Ukrainians learned very quickly to use the systems effectively. According to him, “they are like fish in water.”
“And in fact, we are now learning from them some methods of employing [Patriot systems],” Cavoli added.
On March 12, Politico reported that the war with Iran is consuming expensive U.S. air defense munitions that Ukraine desperately needs, while also threatening future supplies and Kyiv’s ability to counter Russian ballistic missile attacks.
In the first days of the war with Iran, Middle Eastern countries used more than 800 Patriot missiles, while Ukraine has received only about 600 such missiles in total.
On March 11, Zelenskyy said that PAC-3 missiles for Patriot systems had already arrived in Ukraine from Germany, as agreed by allies during the latest Ramstein-format meeting.
Earlier, EU Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius said the European Union is seeking ways to minimize risks to the supply of Patriot air defense missiles to Ukraine amid developments in the Middle East.