Politics- The US is set to send Ukraine the Patriot missile system, per The New York Times and CNN.
- Russian is firing missile across the country, prompting renewed calls for top-tier equipment.
The US is preparing to send the Patriot missile-defense system to Ukraine as it fights Russian salvos on targets across the country, The New York Times and CNN reported.
Two US officials and a senior administration official told CNN that President Joe Biden's administration was finalizing plans to send the system.
The officials expected Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Biden to approve the transfer, marking another expansion in the type of sophistication of US arms granted to Ukraine.
The Times reported that Austin could give his approval this week, citing two officials.
The plan is expected to be publicly announced soon, perhaps also this week, CNN said.
The US is preparing to send a single Patriot missile system, the Times reported. CNN said the number was unclear.
Allies, including the US, have been sending air-defense systems to Ukraine as a new priority since Russia changed its playbook in October and started sending missiles and drones across the country, far from the front lines.
The Patriot system would be the most advanced on the battlefield.
Russia's missiles and drones have targeted energy infrastructure, and also destroyed residential buildings and killed civilians.
It is not clear where in Ukraine the missile system would be used, or when.
The system is expected to be shipped quickly to a US Army base in Germany, where Ukrainians could be taught to use it, officials told CNN.
It usually takes months of training to use the system, CNN reported. It is not clear if that training could be sped up.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said he would not comment on the reports, saying "we will wait for official information."