Slovakia, a NATO member, has begun receiving the first units of Germany’s and the Netherlands’ Patriot air defense systems, according to the Slovak defense minister on Sunday.
Jaroslav Nad thanked Germany and the Netherlands on social media for supplying guns during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and stated the “first pieces of Patriot air defense” are on their way to Slovakia.
According to Nad, the air defense system will be temporarily stationed at an airbase near the village of Sliac.
He also stated that roughly 2,100 NATO troops will be stationed in Slovakia as part of the mission.
Meanwhile, Nad emphasized that the Patriot system is not a replacement for the Russian S-300 system, and that Slovakia intends to replace the S-300 system.
Since Russia initiated a war on its western neighbor on February 24, at least 902 civilians have been killed and another 1,459 injured in Ukraine, according to UN figures.
The UN has stated that the true figures are likely to be significantly higher because verification is difficult on the ground.
According to UN estimates, approximately 3.38 million people have fled Ukraine since the conflict began, with an estimated 6.5 million people internally displaced in the country.