US finalising plans to send Patriot missiles to Ukraine

The US is set to make a major announcement in a bid to aid Ukraine, as Volodymyr Zelenskyy makes a desperate winter plea.

The US government is set to finalise plans to send advanced Patriot missiles to Ukraine months after months of pleading from Kyiv to combat long-range ballistic and cruise missiles fire by Russian forces.

An announcement is expected this week, possible as early as Friday, but the plan is still awaiting final approval by the US Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin, and President Joe Biden.

Once the plans are approved, the Patriots are expected to ship quickly and Ukrainian forces will be trained to use them at a US army base in Grafenwoehr in Germany, two US officials and a senior administration official told CNN.

The US government is set to finalise plans to send the Patriot missile defence system to Ukraine. Picture: AFP

The defence system has the potential to shoot down Russian missiles and aircraft far from their intended targets inside Ukraine, making it the most advanced weaponry to be given to Ukraine since the start of the war in February.

The “reality of what is going on the ground” led the Biden administration to make the decision, an official said.

It comes as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on for 50 million light bulbs to help the country cope with Russia’s attacks on their energy system.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, addresses the general debate of the 77th Session of the General Assembly of the UN via prerecorded video message.

Speaking at a conference in Paris, Mr Zelenskyy said that one of the keys to stopping Russian aggression was to guarantee Ukraine‘s energy stability.

“Unfortunately, this is a typical situation for us. And we expect new Russian strikes every day, which can dramatically increase the number of shutdowns,” he said.

“(Generators are now) as necessary in Ukraine as armoured vehicles and bulletproof vests.”

Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid have left millions without power as winter temperatures in parts of the country often below zero for weeks on end.

The EU has already committed to sending 30 million bulbs.

“In these times of suffering and darkness, it is so important to bring light to Ukraine,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

‘MOST POWERFUL’ WEAPONS: RUSSIA THREATENS AUSTRALIA

Russia’s former president says the country is ramping up production of new-generation weapons to protect itself from western enemies, including Australia.

“We are increasing production of the most powerful means of destruction, including those based on new principles,” former president Dmitry Medvedev said.

“Our enemy dug in not only in the Kyiv province of our native Malorossiya,” Medvedev said, using the term to describe territories of modern-day Ukraine that were part of the Russian Empire under the tsars.

“It is in Europe, North America, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and a whole number of other places that pledged allegiance to the Nazi.”

Deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev. Picture: AFP

Mr Medvedev, 57, who stepped in as president between 2008 and 2012 after Vladimir Putin was constitutionally barred from serving a third consecutive term as president, is now deputy head of the Security Council in the Kremlin.

The latest threat comes as Mr Putin cancelled his annual press conference for the first time in 10 years, while also axing his New Year’s Eve party at the Kremlin.

Earlier this month, he was seen with twitching feet as he met Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Moscow which fuelled ongoing health rumours for the Russian President.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s latest cancellation has fuelled ongoing rumours about his ill-health. Picture: AFP

Throughout Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there have been persistent rumours that Mr Putin is suffering serious health issues, with both cancer and Parkinson’s disease touted as possible conditions.

Leaked documents also allege that the president has early stage Parkinson’s disease and pancreatic cancer.

It comes as Mr Putin justified the country’s use of missile strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure by claiming they “Ukrainians started it”.

Local residents walk past a damaged building following Russian attacks in Ukraine. Picture: AFP.

Holding a champagne in his hand, Mr Putin spoke at a grandiose Kremlin reception last week, which was held to recognise several Russian servicemen as ‘Heroes of Russia’ for their efforts in Ukraine.

“There is a lot of noise now about our strikes on the energy infrastructure [of Ukraine]. Yes, we are doing it,” he told reporters.

“But who started it? Who struck the Crimean bridge?’ Putin quipped, clutching a glass of champagne as he shuffled awkwardly from side to side, looking unsteady on his feet.”

Millions of Ukrainians have been left facing a “winter apocalypse” and without, heat and water as temperatures plummet below freezing after Russia’s relentless attack on their energy infrastructure.