Vladimir Putin says he is “100% sure” the Russian military will destroy the Patriot air defense system the United States has announced it will supply to Ukraine. In an interview with Russian public television, an excerpt from which was made public, the Kremlin leader renewed his attacks on the West and said that Moscow’s goal in Ukraine is to “unite the Russian people.”

After warnings about the arrival of the Patriot system in Ukraine, the Kremlin already sees its destruction by the Russian military, although it will suffer heavy losses in the war.

“Of course, we will destroy it, (absolutely) 100%!” Putin said in an interview quoted by AFP.

He claimed that the West is trying to “disunite” historical Russia, justifying the invasion of Ukraine by the fact that it wants “the unification of the Russian people.”

“Everything is based on the policy of our geopolitical adversaries, who seek to divide Russia, historical Russia,” Putin said, adding that Moscow’s “goal” is “completely different: to unite the Russian people.”

“I believe that we are acting in the right direction, we are defending our national interests, the interests of our citizens, our people. And we have no other choice but to protect our citizens,” he added.

Putin also stated that Russia is ready to negotiate with all parties involved in the conflict in Ukraine.

“We are ready to negotiate with all interested parties to find acceptable solutions, but it depends on them – we are not refusing negotiations, they are,” he said.

What is the “Patriot” air defense system.

The US will supply Ukraine with its most advanced Patriot air defense system.

Patriot, short for Phased Array Tracking Radar for Intercept on Target, is a surface-to-air missile defense system developed by Raytheon Technologies Corp. and is considered one of the most advanced air defense systems in the American arsenal.

The system was first used in combat during the 1991 Gulf War, when the batteries defended Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Israel, and was later used during the 2003 US invasion of Iraq.

It is a mobile system that usually includes a powerful radar, control station, power generator, launch stations and other support facilities.

The system has different capabilities depending on the type of interceptor used.

The PAC-2 interceptor uses a fragmentation warhead, while the new PAC-3 missile uses more sophisticated “kill” technology.

According to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 2015, the system’s radar has a range of more than 150 km.

How much does the Patriot system cost?

According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, one recently manufactured Patriot battery costs more than $1 billion, with $400 million for the system and $690 million for the missiles in the battery.

How much the system is used

Raytheon has built more than 240 Patriot systems, which are currently in use in 18 countries, including the United States. The system is in high demand in the Middle East because of the threat Iran poses to the region.

According to Raytheon, the system has intercepted more than 150 ballistic missiles in combat since 2015.