DONETSK, December 24. /TASS/. Patriot air defense systems, which the US announced will be sent to Ukraine, may create problems only in their latest modification, but even in this case, the issue may be solved, according to the People's Militia of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR).

"The Patriot's first two versions, PAC-1 and PAC-2, have shown to be extremely ineffective systems in Iraq, especially against older types of short-range ballistic missile systems. The most modern complex, PAC-3, has yet to be seen in combat, however it is equipped with an AN/MPQ-65 radar capable of detecting low-altitude and small-sized targets at distances of 70 kilometers. Ukrainian air defense desperately requires such systems," the People's Militia told TASS.

Thus, the delivery of these complexes is a critical move for the US, which supports Ukraine, because Russian forces largely destroyed Ukraine's air defense systems, according to the People's Militia.

The Patriot missile systems that the US has promised to provide to Ukraine are quite old systems and don’t work the way Russia’s S-300 systems do, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters earlier on Thursday. "It is nothing but an attempt to prolong the conflict, that’s all," he added.

On Wednesday, the US authorities announced that they are providing Ukraine with a new $1.85 bln military aid package, which will include a Patriot battery for the first time. Meanwhile, $1 bln will be allocated through the State Department, $850 mln through the Pentagon. Moscow has repeatedly warned Washington against transferring such weapons to Ukraine. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Patriot systems will become a legitimate target of the Russian Armed Forces if they are delivered to Kiev.