Pentagon says it is completing training and equipping Ukraine's first Patriot battery

This was reported by CNN.

"Collective training is ongoing throughout Europe and is dramatically increasing Ukrainian combined armed organizations, all told, since January, the US military has trained over 1,000 Ukrainians, bringing the total by the United States trained by the United States to just over 4,000," said Lieutenant General Douglas Sims II, director of operations for the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The US military is also training Ukrainians on the Patriot missile system in Fort Still, Oklahoma, and Sims announced that the training will soon be completed.

"US armed forces will soon complete the training and equipping of Ukraine's first Patriot battery," Sims told the Committee.

This is the first time the Pentagon has specified when the training might be completed.

"We are confident the Ukrainians will employ Patriots with the same expertise they are demonstrating every day with their current air defense capabilities," the defense official added.

• On December 21, the United States announced the decision to give the Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine. The Patriot air defense system is capable of shooting down cruise missiles, short-range ballistic missiles and aircraft at a much higher altitude than the air defense systems previously provided to Ukraine.

• The Air Force said that the Ukrainian military personnel will be able to master Patriots in a few months.