Putin Vows to Destroy US-Made Patriot Missile Systems Promised to Ukraine

U.S. soldiers stand next to the long-range air defense system Patriot during Toburq Legacy 2017 air defense exercise in the military airfield near Siauliai, Lithuania, on July 20, 2017. Ints Kalnins/Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he’s very confident that Moscow will destroy the Patriot air defense systems that the United States has promised to Ukraine in a new security assistance package.

“Of course, we'll take them out, 100 percent!” Putin said during a Dec. 25 interview with Rossiya-1 TV anchor Pavel Zarubin, Russia’s state-owned news agency TASS reported, noting that Ukraine doesn’t have such systems yet.